OP39 – 2489: Improving the fundamentals of learning: Cognitive neurorehabilitation for children with partial epilepsy

Abstract

Objective Attention and visuospatial impairments occur in children with partial epilepsy (PE). Attention impairment interrupts the development of other cognitive functions, eg. working memory and executive functions. Visuospatial impairment for one has been associated with difficulties in mathematics. Few systematically controlled neurocognitive rehabilitation techniques for children exist. Our aim was to examine the intervention effect with a computer-based attention and visuospatial rehabilitation modules for children. Methods 27 children with PE: 16 in study group (mean age=10.07 yrs, SD=1.149) and 11 in waiting-list group (mean age = 10.51 yrs, SD=1.766) with same profiles of cognitive impairment participated. Study group received individual supervised rehabilitation twice a week during 6 weeks with FORAMENRehab software (Sarajuuri et al, 2000; adapted for children by authors), while waiting-list group received no training. Intervention effect for study group and control performance for waiting-list group was evaluated comparing baseline tasks after 6-week-period. Results were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test. Results Significant improvement was seen for study group after intervention. In complex attention tasks they gave more correct responses (p Conclusion Neurorehabilitation with FORAMENRehab is effective for children with PE. Children significantly improved in two more complicated attention components: complex and tracking; and in three main visuospatial components: visual organization, attention and perception. Modern computer-assisted neurocognitive intervention could improve the fundamentals of learning in children with cognitive impairment.