The effects of seizure type, level of seizure control, and antiepileptic drugs on memory and attention skills in children with epilepsy

Abstract

Abstract Memory and attention skills were assessed in 84 children with epilepsy who had no documented learning or behavioral disorders. Seizure type, level of control, and antiepileptic drug effects were examined in relation to their influence on memory and attention function. For the entire sample, verbal and visual memory skills were found to be within the average range. However, subtle problems with attentional skills were noted. Two‐way analyses of variance, based on seizure type by level of control, did not indicate significant group differences in memory and attention skills between children with complex partial versus absence seizures. Children with uncontrolled seizures had more difficulty with recall of complex verbal information. A notable finding was that children on polytherapy had significantly lower verbal and visual memory scores than children on monotherapy. Results suggest that children with epilepsy, without learning or behavioral disorders, have intact memory skills but may have subtle difficulties with attention. These children would benefit from repetition of information, whereas children on polytherapy need to be more closely monitored due to increased risk for problems with memory and attention skills.