Estudio neuropsicológico de niños de 8 a 15 años que presentan descargas paroxísticas subclínicas lateralizadas y bajo rendimiento escolar

Abstract

Paroxysmal discharges have been observed in non epileptic children who, at the same time, display learning disorders. In this study our aim is to determine whether the association between sub clinical discharges (SCD) and learning disorders reflects specific neuropsychological deficiencies and, more particularly, whether the possible deficits are defined according to the brain hemisphere in which the paroxysmal activity is located. Neuropsychological evaluation was performed in 17 children between the ages of 8 and 15, with unspecific learning disorders, who presented sub clinical paroxysmal discharges localised in the left hemisphere (nine cases) or in the right hemisphere (eight cases). The children with paroxysmal activity in the left hemisphere obtained similar results to those in which it was found on the right, except in the tests that evaluate visuo constructive skills, in which their scores were higher, and in the executive function tasks, in which they displayed a deficit that was not observed in the children with paroxysmal activity in the right hemisphere. We interpreted the presence of SCD discharges in the left hemisphere as reflecting a slower or more deficient process of brain maturation, which could be compensated with a suitable programme of neuropsychological intervention.