Co-morbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy in children seen in University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu: Prevalence, clinical and social correlates

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of ADHD, epilepsy co-morbidity and social and clinical correlates in Nigerian children. A cross-sectional study of 113 children with epilepsy was carried out and assessed for ADHD prevalence using the home version of the ADHD Rating Scale IV. The presence of certain variables occurring in association with the co-morbidity was also determined. Sixteen (14.2%) children had ADHD, epilepsy co-morbidity. The inattentive subtype of ADHD was the most common (68.8%). The factors that were significantly associated with the co-morbidity were poor academic performance (p=0.01), living in rural areas (p=0.00), history of status epilepticus (p=0.00) and the presence of other associated neurological pathologies (p=0.00). Children with the co-morbidity are more likely to be those that are underachieving academically, with history of status epilepticus, family history of epilepsy, and abnormal EEG. Children with the co-morbidity should be actively sought after and managed accordingly.