Antidepressants Blog

The future of a child with epilepsy depends a great deal on the management of the condition during the younger years. The attitude adopted at home and at school is very important. These children need to share the company of other children, go to normal schools and partake in the usual activities. They are normal children with a particular problem which is in fact much less disabling for many of them than, for example, asthma might be.
Some parents and teachers blame any unusual behaviour, such as outbursts of anger or irritability, on the epilepsy. There is usually no connection between the two unless there are clear indications otherwise. However, there is evidence that in some children learning and behaviour problems do arise in connection with their epilepsy. Those with particular types of epilepsy (especially left-sided temporal lobe epilepsy) are more likely to be affected in this way, and boys more so than girls.
What are the school problems? Children with epilepsy are variously said to be absent minded, lethargic, sleepy and lacking in concentration. Some anticonvulsant drugs may have adverse effects on the child’s schoolwork. Difficulties with reading, inattention of various types, dependency and other kinds of disturbed behaviour may occur. An enlightened teacher may take advantage of a seizure in class to explain to the other students about epilepsy. This is useful both for the child with epilepsy and the other students. Many children with epilepsy (about 50%) have some sort of school problem which may stop them achieving their academic potential. The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but may include the following:
The effects of the anticonvulsant drugs. Phenobarbitone and primidone may affect concentration span and attention to some extent. Chronic intoxication with phenytoin may lead to intellectual deterioration. There is little information about the other anticonvulsants.
Perceptual problems. The information on the effects of epilepsy on reading skills is that:
the reading skills of children with generalised epilepsy are similar to those of non-epileptic children.
children, especially boys, with EEG abnormalities or with focal EEG abnormalities on the left side of the brain, read less well than non-epileptic children.
reading skills of boys with epilepsy, of whatever type, are less good than those of epileptic girls.
long-term phenytoin use is associated with lower reading skills than with other anticonvulsants.
In summary, there may be quite definite learning problems in about half of children with epilepsy, boys more so than girls. These need to be recognised and dealt with as well as possible at an educational level.
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Epilepsy

Related Posts:

• QUESTIONS ABOUT EPILEPSY
• THE FACTS-THE CAUSES OF EPILEPSY: PRECIPITANTS OF SEIZURES-OTHER PRECIPITANTS—REFLEX EPILEPSY