Key Issues in Addressing the Comorbidity of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Pediatric Epilepsy

Focusing on ADHD and attention in children with epilepsy

“…Salpekar and Mishra [1] have reviewed the problem of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with epilepsy and have shown that the prevalence of ADHD is higher in children with epilepsy than in controls, that symptoms of ADHD can be distinguished from symptoms of seizures, and that standard treatments of ADHD can be used in children with ADHD and epilepsy. Their review should help reduce the underdiagnosis of ADHD in children with epilepsy and should help diminish the fear of providing appropriate medication for these children.…”

“…Salpekar and Mishra [1] suggested additional research utilizing electrophysiological techniques and neuroimaging to advance understanding of the relationship between ADHD and epilepsy. Would we advance knowledge by focusing more on dimensional measures of attention and the related area of executive functioning than on the categorical diagnosis of ADHD?…”

“…Salpekar and Mishra [1] note the lack of controlled trials but argue that stimulants and atomoxetine can be used to treat ADHD in children with epilepsy. How successful will this be?…”

“…Overall, the review by Salpekar and Mishra [1] gives reasons for optimism. If we pay appropriate attention to the comorbidities of childhood epilepsy, we should be able to significantly improve quality of life for children with seizures.…”

A 15-year snapshot of the behavioral and psychosocial aspects of epilepsy

“…In 2012, Kanner and colleagues reviewed the bench and clinical science findings on depression, epilepsy, and antiseizure medications and their complex relationships [3,4]. The Journal's recent inclusion of targeted systematic reviews has resulted in well-written papers by Jana Jones on common anxiety disorders and evidence-based pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions to target anxiety symptoms [5] and by Salpekar and Mishra on key issues in addressing ADHD [6] in children with epilepsy. Original research articles have provided information on the prevalence of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders [7].…”