Neuropsychological Assessment of Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children with Epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions affecting children, especially preschool-aged children 5 years and younger. Seizure onset early in life is often associated with epilepsy syndromes, but may also occur in the context of localization-related epilepsy associated with cerebral lesions. Early seizure onset, particularly when it occurs within the first years of life, is known to negatively impact cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. In this highly at-risk population, neuropsychological evaluations assist in maximizing a child's likelihood of attaining optimal developmental outcomes. However, there are myriad factors and numerous interpretive challenges that must be taken into account when conducting evaluations in preschool-aged children with epilepsy. These clinical factors, developmental outcomes, and interpretive challenges are discussed and clinical recommendations are provided for this complex population.