Neuropsychology of Epileptic encephalopathy: analysis of more significant issues, and overview of our experience with a group of children affected by myoclonic-astatic epilepsy

We discuss here the question regarding epileptological and neuropsychological clinic features of epileptic encephalopathies, with the aim to debate the complex and sometimes unclear relationship occurring between these two topics, giving particular attention to cognitive outcome. Subsequently the neuropsychological profile of our clinical sample (n = 10) is described, in which we can evidence a twofold trend - respectively of adverse or more favourable type - as a consequence of the bigger or smaller frequency of electroclinical episodes and of poly- or monotherapy. The group with a more benign cognitive outcome (n = 7) reports a wide variability of results and on the average presents a mild intellective disability, graphomotor impairment and within norm limits attention, linked to some borderline psychopathological variables such as mood reduction and inattentionhyperactivity. Since the clinical summary put in evidence that these subjects result to be those seizure-free for a lot of time and with no more of two principles in therapy, so the neuropsychological data support a connection between malignancy of episodes and the cognitive outcome.

Keywords: Myoclonic astatic epilepsy, epileptic encephalopathy, neuropsychology, cognitive decrease

Marco Gubernale, Anna Volzone, Susanna Negrin, Annamaria Gobbo, Paolo Bonanni, Neuropsicologia delle encefalopatie epilettiche: analisi delle variabili più significative e descrizione della nostra esperienza con un gruppo pediatrico affetto da epilessia mioclono-astatica in "CHILD DEVELOPMENT & DISABILITIES - SAGGI" Suppl. 3/2010, pp 35-52, DOI: 10.3280/CDD2010-S03003