Learning difficulties in Japanese schoolchildren with focal epilepsy.
Children
Epilepsy
Focal
Japanese
Learning disabilities
Journal
Brain & development
ISSN: 1872-7131
Titre abrégé: Brain Dev
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 7909235
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Oct 2020
Oct 2020
Historique:
received:
07
11
2019
revised:
27
05
2020
accepted:
09
06
2020
pubmed:
7
7
2020
medline:
23
6
2021
entrez:
7
7
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Children with epilepsy often show some degree of cognitive impairment. In this study, we investigated their learning skills to clarify the characteristics of the difficulties related to learning in Japanese-speaking children with focal epilepsy. The study included 13 boys and 17 girls of mean age 9.7 years (standard deviation 2.61; range 6-14 years) with focal epilepsy and a normal magnetic resonance brain scan. None of the patients had any other neurological disorder. Twenty-two children had "learning difficulties", i.e., an intellectual disability or low scores on a learning abilities task. Significant differences were found in age (P = 0.030), age at onset of epilepsy (P = 0.033), and electroencephalographic findings, as well as between bilateral vs. unilateral (P = 0.028) and right-localized vs. left-localized or bilateral (P = 0.014) involvement between subjects with and without learning difficulties. Seven (88%) of eight children with low scores on a learning abilities task showed abnormalities in reading speed. More than half of Japanese-speaking children with focal epilepsy need learning assistance. This finding points to a need for learning support in children with focal epilepsy regardless of language. Measurement of reading speed is useful in children with learning difficulties to identify those who require early intervention.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Children with epilepsy often show some degree of cognitive impairment. In this study, we investigated their learning skills to clarify the characteristics of the difficulties related to learning in Japanese-speaking children with focal epilepsy.
METHODS
METHODS
The study included 13 boys and 17 girls of mean age 9.7 years (standard deviation 2.61; range 6-14 years) with focal epilepsy and a normal magnetic resonance brain scan. None of the patients had any other neurological disorder.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Twenty-two children had "learning difficulties", i.e., an intellectual disability or low scores on a learning abilities task. Significant differences were found in age (P = 0.030), age at onset of epilepsy (P = 0.033), and electroencephalographic findings, as well as between bilateral vs. unilateral (P = 0.028) and right-localized vs. left-localized or bilateral (P = 0.014) involvement between subjects with and without learning difficulties. Seven (88%) of eight children with low scores on a learning abilities task showed abnormalities in reading speed.
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
More than half of Japanese-speaking children with focal epilepsy need learning assistance. This finding points to a need for learning support in children with focal epilepsy regardless of language. Measurement of reading speed is useful in children with learning difficulties to identify those who require early intervention.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32624240
pii: S0387-7604(20)30168-6
doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2020.06.004
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
655-662Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.