P 1032. Cognitive Development in Children with Rolandic Epilepsy or Rolandic EEG Pattern—Preliminary Results of a Prospective Follow-up Study

Objective: Although intellectual performance is typically normal in patients with rolandic epilepsy or rolandic EEG pattern, problems are found in specific cognitive domains. So far, mainly retrospective studies have been conducted focusing on the cognitive development of school-age children.

In our prospective follow-up study, initiated in 2013, preschool children were included in addition to school-age children.

Method: T1: Immediately after diagnosis: 38 patients (31 males, 7 females; range: 4–10 years of age; 12 children with seizures, 26 children without seizures) were examined to identify any significant cognitive deficits.

T2: Nine to 12 months later: 20 patients were re-examined (15 males, 5 females; 8 children with seizures, 12 children without seizures). We report on the course of development in selected cognitive domains of these 20 follow-up patients.

Results (Preliminary results of the ongoing study):

T1 (n = 20)

Intelligence: WPPSI-III (children < 6 years; n = 4)/WISC-IV (children > 6 years; n = 16) (mean, SD): full-scale IQ: 94.9 (15.2). Index scores: verbal IQ/verbal comprehension: 97.0 (16.2); performance-IQ/perceptual reasoning: 96.6 (14.6); processing speed: 94.8 (14.6); working memory (WISC-IV: n = 16: 93.6 (18.3). Six out of the 20 patients (30%) showed full-scale IQ scores between 70 and 84.

Visual perception: FEW-2/-JE (quotients: mean, SD): general visual perception: 92.9 (13.2); motor reduced visual perception: 92.8 (15.3); visual–motor integration: 94.4 (12.1).

Language: SETK 3–5/SET 5–10: Below average performance (< 16th percentile) in at least half of the subtests in 7 out of 20 patients (35%).

Attention: TAP-/BASIC-preschool subtests: Below average performance (TAP: < 16th percentile in at least half of the subtests/BASIC-preschool: < cutoff value in subsection selective attention) in 17 out of 20 patients (85%).

T2 (n = 20)

Intelligence: WPPSI-III (n = 3)/WISC-IV (n = 17) (mean, SD): full-scale IQ: 94.7 (15.3). Index scores: verbal IQ/verbal comprehension: 97.5 (13.9); performance IQ/perceptual reasoning: 98.6 (15.1); processing speed: 93.3 (15.9); working memory (WISC-IV: n = 17: 90.3 (18.9).

Five out of 20 patients showed full-scale IQ scores between 70 and 84. Four of these patients had scored similarly at T1.

Visual perception: FEW-2/-JE (quotients: mean, SD): general visual perception: 95.4 (18.4); motor reduced visual perception: 96.8 (15.0); visual–motor integration: 94.4 (20.9).

Language: SETK 3–5/SET 5–10: Below average performance in 2 out of 20 patients (10%).

Attention: TAP-/BASIC-preschool subtests: Below average performance in 15 out of 20 patients (75%).

In sum, at T2 no significant differences were found in comparison to T1.

Conclusion: At the initial examination, the patient group on average performed within the normal range for intelligence and visual perception.

However, cognitive testing revealed below average full-scale IQ scores in 30% of the patients. In addition, language impairments were demonstrated in 35% and attention deficits in even 85% of the children.

Nine to 12 months after first examination, no significant changes in the children’s cognitive profiles were found. Further study results should be awaited.