Abstract

TEDRUS, Glória M.A.S et al. Benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes: evolutive clinical, cognitive and EEG aspects. Arq. Neuro-Psiquiatr. [online]. 2010, vol.68, n.4, pp. 550-555. ISSN 0004-282X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X2010000400014.

Thirty-two children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) were studied for a mean period of 27.6 months. The characteristics of the seizures, electroencephalogram (EEG), WISC-III and School Performance Test were compared at the start and end of the study. Nine (28.1%) children continued having seizures. Epileptiform activity (EA) on the EEG reduced in number and was no longer recorded in 6 (18.7%) children. There was a significant improvement in the performance and perceptual organization IQ values. The improvement in reading performance failed to reach statistical significance. The performance in arithmetic worsened in 43.7% of the children, and this was associated with the persistence of epileptic seizures. There were no significant correlations between changes in cognitive aspects and characteristics of EA. There is a need to continue this study, and also search for other factors influencing the evolution of cognitive abilities in children with BECTS.

Keywords : benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes; rolandic epilepsy; epileptiform activity; cognition; rolandic spikes.