P30.13 Mental processing in epilepsy in children and adolescents

Abstract

Long latency auditory evoked potentials, especially P300, are an objective and non-invasive procedure and a recommended standard for clinical evaluation of mental processing. Aim of the study: In order to evaluate the results of epilepsy treatment in children and adolescents the influence of two antiepileptic drugs (AED) carbamazepine (CBZ) and valproates (VPA) on cognitive functions was analyzed. Materials and methods: The examination was performed in 30 newly diagnosed patients with epilepsy 8–18 years old before AED therapy and in 62 patients to whom both formulations of CBZ or VPA was administered in monotherapy. Neuropediatric status as well as the neuroimaging in the groups were unremarkable. All showed normal mentality measured by psychological tests. Control group consisted of 66 healthy children and adolescents of the same age. According to the IFCN standards, we applied the oddball paradigm to elicit P300. Results: Significant prolongation of P300 and N2 latency was observed and the increase of N1–P2, P2–N2 and N2–P3 amplitude values in all epileptic patients in comparison to healthy controls was detected. There were also significant changes of N1 and P2 latency recorded in children receiving CBZ. P300 latency was longer in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy than in control group. It was also shown that patients with partial seizures demonstrated longer P300 and N2 latency than recorded in case history as well as N2–P3 amplitude was higher than in patients with generalized seizures. There was not any statistically significant relation between parameters of P300 and the age of the child at the moment of epilepsy being diagnosed, the duration of the disease and the level of AED in blood serum. Conclusions: There were significant differences indicated in parameters of P300 in epileptic children and adolescents in comparison to control group. The type of epileptic seizures and the choice of AED influence their values significantly.