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Neurological Problems May Cause Behaviour Problems And New-Onset Seizures In Children

A DGReview of :"Teacher assessment of behaviour in children with new-onset seizures"
Seizure

06/12/2002
By David Ball
 

Children with teacher-assessed behaviour problems may have underlying neurological problems which could cause previously unrecognised seizures.

An evaluation of 192 children with new-onset seizures showed they were already at increased risk of teacher-rated behaviour problems before starting medication.

Furthermore, say researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, United States, such behaviour occurs before the effects of any possible stigma related to seizures.

Reports from teachers, who are familiar with comparing children's performance and are an excellent source of information about their behaviour, were used to assess the subjects problems two months prior to their first recognised seizure.

Similar data was obtained on 78 children with new-onset, moderate severity asthma for comparing behavioural scores with those of seizure subjects.

Comparisons were also made between teachers' assessments of behaviour in children with no prior seizures and those with previously unrecognized seizures.

Of the subject group, 129 children had no prior episodes and 63 had recognised prior seizure-like episodes.

Assessments of behaviour were made by the teacher's report form (TRF) of the child behaviour checklist (CBCL) or the caregiver-teacher report form for ages two to five (C-TRF). Two-sample t -tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare mean scores.

More thought problems were found in the new-onset seizure subjects than in the asthmatic children.

Higher scores in total behaviour problems were recorded in children with prior unrecognised seizures compared with those with no prior seizures.

They also had higher scores in somatic complaints, internalising problems, anxious/depressed, and thought and attention problems.

Seizure, 2002, Vol 11, No 3;169-175. "Teacher assessment of behaviour in children with new-onset seizures"

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