Physical Activity in Children/Teens with Epilepsy Compared with That in Their Siblings without Epilepsy

Abstract

Summary:Purpose: To determine (a) whether children and teens with epilepsy participate in less physical activity and have higher body mass index (BMI) percentiles for age than do their siblings without epilepsy; and (b) what epilepsy-specific factors limit their participation.Methods: Patients 5-17 years, with a ≥3 month history of epilepsy, a development quotient ≥80, no major motor or sensory impairments, and at least one sibling without epilepsy in a similar age range, were identified from the Neurology Clinic database or at the time of clinic visit. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding sedentary activities and group, individual, and total sports activities. Children aged 11-15 years also completed the physical activity portion of the Health Behavior in School Aged Children questionnaire. Clinic charts were reviewed for seizure type, etiology, frequency, duration of epilepsy, and number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) ever taken.Results: Teens with epilepsy participated in fewer group and total sports activities than did controls and were more likely to be potentially overweight or overweight. Receiving three or more AEDs in the past showed a significant negative correlation with sports participation. Although a trend was noted for those with higher seizure frequency to be less active, no other epilepsyspecific factors or prior seizures or seizure-related injury during a sports event correlated with participation in physical activity.Conclusions: Programs that promote exercise in adolescents with epilepsy should be encouraged to improve their physical, psychological, and social well-being.

The psychosocial impact of exercising with epilepsy: A narrative analysis

“…This finding of fear as an exercise deterrent is in accordance with current research [1,4,7,8,10,30,31], however, the qualitative approach taken allowed for the diverse ways in which fear manifested itself to be revealed. Such manifestation included the fear that seizures could prevent Maya from achieving her end goal and would cause teammates to keep away from Andrew at the gym, as well as create the feelings of a loss of independence for Rose and Gwen.…”

“…The abundance of research exploring the benefits of and barriers to exercise for people with epilepsy has been primarily quantitative and medico-scientific [4,8,9,10] , leaving an omission in our understanding of the first-hand exercise experiences of people with epilepsy. Therefore, through the use of narrative inquiry, this research aims to present the psychosocial impact of exercising with epilepsy over time.…”

Overcoming the fear: an autoethnographic narrative of running with epilepsy

“…Research has shown physical exercise to be beneficial for most people with epilepsy (PWE) because of the positive effects on seizure control and well-being (Nakken et al 1990, Wong andWirrell 2006). Although epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders (Arida et al 2009),2 the lack of first-person experiences raised the question as to whether the positive effects of exercise (Sirven 2009, Arida et al 2013) hold true to the experiences of PWE.…”

Obesity is a common comorbidity for pediatric patients with untreated, newly diagnosed epilepsy

“…However, children with severe impairments often have physical limitations as well as oral motor problems that affect feeding. 30,31 Stimulant drugs can also affect feeding by decreasing appetite, which may in turn decrease weight. 32 In this study, patients on stimulant psychotropics exhibited a lower mean BMI Z-score close to 1 full unit on average (adjusted) compared to patients on no medication.…”