Intellectual Function among Epileptic Children: The Role of Epilepsy Related-Factors in Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the role of epilepsy-related factors, such as etiological variability, sex and age, on general intellectual functions among Nigerian children with epilepsy. Sixty epileptic children (38 males and 22 females) with a mean age of 12.9 years (SD= 2.9 years) were randomly selected from a population of epileptic children attending the Outpatient Neurology Clinic at Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) was administered. The result showed that 73.4% of the epileptic children had mental retardation, borderline and low average IQ level which, in some way, corresponded to general intellectual impairment. Multiple regression analysis revealed that etiological variability independently predicted Verbal IQ, Performance IQ and Full Scale IQ among the epileptic children. Furthermore, sex independently predicted Performance IQ of the epileptic children. This study emphasised a significant joint prediction of etiological variability, sex and age on Verbal IQ, Performance IQ and Full Scale IQ among the epileptic children. In conclusions, etiological variability and sex are important predictors of general intellectual functions. This research will enhance the understanding of those epileptic children who are in danger of developmental impairment so that treatment methods can be developed.

Prevalence of psychosocial problems in children with and without epilepsy: A comparative cross-section study.

“…6,7 The reason for these behavioral problems in epileptic patient is may be due to dysfunction of central nervous system, as demonstrated in study. 8 https://doi.org/10.29309/TPMJ/2021.28.04.5800…”