CHARACTERISTICS AND PROGNOSIS OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND EPILEPSY

Objectives: Epilepsy is an index of the severity of cerebral palsy (CP) and brain damage is usually more severe when epilepsy occurs (Aicardi 1994). The aims of the study were to describe the prevalence and characteristics of epilepsy in a population of patients with CP in a university referral center as well as to determine changing panorama of cerebral palsy during 9 years period (1996–2004).

Methods: 264 children with cerebral palsy (87 girls, 177 boys, mean age 6.8 years) were included. The CP forms, age of first epileptic seizure onset, EEG, magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography findings, AE therapy and outcome were analysed. The results of group I (1996–2000, 131 pts) and group II (2001–2004, 133 pts) were compared.

Results: Epilepsy was present in 109 (41%) of all children with CP; in 68 (52%) of group I and 41 (30%) of group II. Age at onset of epilepsy varied with type of CP: children with tetraplegic CP tended to have an earlier onset of epilepsy (1.4 years) than children with other CP types. First seizures occurred during the first year of life predominantly in group I than in group II (54% and 24%, respectively).

Conclusion: The functional status of children with cerebral palsy depends on the severity and the presence of epilepsy (Wong 2004). From this point of view is possible to interpretate the lower frequency of epilepsy in group II as a positive impact of higher quality of perinatal care. Supported by VZ MZO 00064203–6504