Neuropsychological functioning in children with epilepsy: Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures (GTCS) and Complex Partial Seizure (CPS)- an Indian study

Background: Neuropsychological studies confirmed that patients with epilepsy are at considerable risk for cognitive impairment and emotional disturbances.  Aim: To evaluate the influence of neuropsychological functions in childhood common epilepsy types 1. Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures (GTCS) and Complex Partial Seizure (CPS). Method: Two groups of 74 children with epilepsy (49 boys and 25 girls), with a mean age of 11.77 (±2.19) years were screened and selected from Bangalore Neuro Centre, Bangalore, India. Tools: NIMHANS Neuropsychological battery was administered to understand the cognitive profile of the epilepsy subjects. To understand their depression level, Centre for Epidemiological Studies – Depression scale for Children (CES-DC) was used. Statistical Analyses: Mean, percentage, SD, One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc test was used analyze the difference among the sub-type group children with epilepsy. Findings: The present study signify that there are differences in neuropsychological variables between  GTCS and CPS children. The CPS children who performed low in cognitive functions reported higher level of depression.  In summary, the present study reveals that children with GTCS and CPS explain considerable impairment in cognitive function and struggling with depression.