Journal de l'épilepsie

Epilepsy Comorbidity in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Kun-Long H

Cerebral palsy remains as the most frequent cause of motor delay in the young children. Epilepsy can be found in about one-third of childhood patients with cerebral palsy. All seizure types can be seen. The most common types are partial complex and secondary generalized seizures. Seizures in children associated with cerebral palsy have the tendency of earlier onset, and harder control, correlated with the severity degree of cerebral palsy and the existence of mental impairment. The seizure outcome in patients with cerebral palsy is majorly poor. They usually require long-term medications and polytherapy, with more chance of intractable seizures and/or status epilepticus.

The risk of seizure recurrence after stopping anticonvulsants in those with cerebral palsy remains high. Factors related to longer seizure-free period in epileptic children having cerebral palsy are normal intelligence quotient, one seizure type, mono-therapy, and spastic diplegic pattern.