Soyong Eom

Comparison of short- versus long-term ketogenic diet for intractable infantile spasms

Purpose:  To compare the prognoses between short‐term (8 months) and conventional long‐term (>2 years) trials involving patients with refractory infantile spasms who successfully completed the ketogenic diet (KD).

Outcomes of epilepsy surgery in childhood-onset epileptic encephalopathy

PURPOSE to evaluate the outcomes and role of epilepsy surgery in children with intractable epileptic encephalopathy (EE). METHODS ninety-five children (64 boys, 31 girls) with intractable EE were treated by epilepsy surgery at Severance Childrens Hospital from 2003 to 2008. Surgical treatments included lobar resection, hemispherotomy and corpus callosotomy (CC). Seventy-six children were Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), and 19 had West syndrome. RESULTS of the 76 patients with LGS, CC was performed in 37 patients (48.7%), lobar resection in 29 (38.2%) and hemispherotomy in 10 (13.2%). Of the 19 patients with West syndrome, respective surgery was performed in 15 patients (78.9%) and CC in 4 (21.1%). Of the patients receiving respective surgery, Engels class I outcomes were achieved for 24 of 39 (61.5%) of LGS patients, and for 9 of 15 (60.0%) of West syndrome. Malformations of cortical development were commonly observed, appearing in 73.5% (36/49). In neuropsychiatric tests, 19 of 27 with LGS demonstrated improvement in postoperative cognitive function. More significant intellectual improvement correlated well with shorter epilepsy duration, good seizure outcomes, and decreased number of antiepileptic drugs. CONCLUSIONS epilepsy surgery should be considered in treating childhood intractable EE with expectation of improvement of both seizure and cognitive outcomes, even in cases of LGS.

Perceived stigma in Korean adolescents with epilepsy: Effects of knowledge about epilepsy and maternal perception of stigma

PURPOSE There has been little research on whether the knowledge that adolescents with epilepsy (AWE) or their family have about the condition reduces their perception of stigma. In this study we determine the relation between AWEs perceived stigma of, and knowledge about, epilepsy and maternal perception of stigma. METHODS This was a cross-sectional multicenter study involving AWE and their mothers from 25 secondary or tertiary hospitals in Korea. The level of knowledge about epilepsy was assessed using 34 medical items of the Epilepsy Knowledge Profile-General (EKP-M). Additional questionnaires included the Child Stigma Scale, Parent Stigma Scale, and the Maternal Disclosure Management Scale. RESULTS A total of 243 AWE and their mothers were included. The mean EKP-M score was 20.7 (range, 12-31) for AWE and 22.0 (range, 11-31) for their mothers. AWE and mothers had a neutral perception of stigma on average, but the maternal concealment behavior was high. Multiple linear regression indicated that AWEs knowledge about epilepsy was significantly related to their perception of stigma. Unexpectedly, AWE with a low level of knowledge reported a higher perception of stigma than those with a very low level of knowledge (β=0.280, p=0.040). In addition, higher maternal concealment behavior (β=0.070, p=0.002) and receiving polytherapy (β=0.240, p=0.046) were independent factors predicting higher perception of stigma in AWE. CONCLUSION The knowledge that the AWE had about their epilepsy, maternal concealment behavior, and receiving polytherapy were significantly related to the AWEs perception of stigma.

The impact of an exercise therapy on psychosocial health of children with benign epilepsy: A pilot study

OBJECTIVES The purposes of the current study were to test the feasibility of exercise therapy for children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) and to collect pilot data about the impact of exercise therapy on neurocognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. METHODS Ten children with BECTS (9.7±1.42 years) participated in a therapeutic exercise program consisting of ten supervised exercise sessions and home-based exercises for five weeks. Electroencephalography (EEG), seizure frequency, and neurocognitive and psychological factors, including attention, executive function, depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, and quality of life, were assessed before and after the exercise program. RESULTS No clinical symptoms were observed to worsen during the study, demonstrating that the exercise therapy was safe and also feasible. After five weeks of exercise therapy, significant improvements in neurocognitive domains such as simple visual and auditory attention, sustained attention, divided attention, psychomotor speed, and inhibition-disinhibition were observed. Furthermore, parent ratings of internalizing behavioral problems and social problems and mood-related well-being from quality of life improved after exercise therapy. Although not statistically significant, trends were noted toward improvement in childrens self-reports of negative mood/somatization, parent reports of somatic complaints, and general health on a quality-of-life measure. CONCLUSIONS A five-week structured exercise program was successfully implemented, with preliminary data suggesting beneficial impact on neurocognitive and psychobehavioral function. Exercise therapy should be further evaluated as a part of a comprehensive treatment program for children with benign epilepsy.

Neuropsychological effects of levetiracetam and carbamazepine in children with focal epilepsy.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the neuropsychological effect of levetiracetam (LVT) in comparison with carbamazepine (CBZ) and its efficacy and tolerability as a monotherapy in children with focal epilepsy. Methods: A total of 121 out of 135 screened children (4–16 years) were randomly assigned to LVT or CBZ groups in a multicenter, parallel-group, open-label trial. The studys primary endpoints were defined as the end of 52 weeks of treatment, followed by analysis of changes observed in a series of follow-up neurocognitive, behavioral, and emotional function tests performed during treatment in the per protocol population. Drug efficacy and tolerability were also analyzed among the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02208492). Results: Eighty-one patients (41 LVT, 40 CBZ) from the randomly assigned ITT population of 121 children (57 LVT, 64 CBZ) were followed up to their last visit. No significant worsening or differences were noted between groups in neuropsychological tests, except for the Childrens Depression Inventory (LVT −1.97 vs CBZ +1.43, p = 0.027, [+] improvement of function). LVT-treated patients showed an improvement (p = 0.004) in internalizing behavioral problems on the Korean Child Behavior Checklist. Seizure-free outcomes were not different between the 2 groups (CBZ 57.8% vs LVT 66.7%, p = 0.317). Conclusions: Neither LVT nor CBZ adversely affected neuropsychological function in pediatric patients. Both medications were considered equally safe and effective as monotherapy in children with focal epilepsy. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that in patients with pediatric focal epilepsy, LVT and CBZ exhibit equivalent effects on neuropsychological function.

Epilepsy-related clinical factors and psychosocial functions in pediatric epilepsy

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to identify the different influencing patterns of demographic and epilepsy-related variables on various aspects of psychosocial function in pediatric epilepsy. METHOD Five hundred ninety-eight patients with pediatric epilepsy between the ages of 4 and 18 years (boys=360, 60% and girls=238, 40%) and their parents participated in the study. Parents completed the Social Maturity Scale (SMS), the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), and the Korean version of the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (K-QOLCE) to assess daily living function, behavior, and quality of life. The Childrens Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) was completed by clinicians to assess general adaptive function. Demographic variables, such as age and sex of child, and epilepsy-related clinical variables, including seizure type, seizure frequency, duration of epilepsy, and number of medications, were obtained from medical records. RESULTS Demographic and epilepsy-related clinical variables had a strong influence (22-32%) on the cognition-related domain such as general adaptive function, school/total competence, and quality of life for cognitive function while a comparatively smaller effect (2-16%) on the more psychological domain including behavioral, emotional, and social variables. Younger age, shorter duration of illness, and smaller number of medications showed a strong positive impact on psychosocial function in pediatric epilepsy, particularly for adaptive function, competence, and quality-of-life aspects. CONCLUSION Given the wide range of impact of demographic and clinical variables on various facets of psychosocial functions, more specific understanding of the various aspects of factors and their particular pattern of influence may enable more effective therapeutic approaches that address both the medical and psychological needs in pediatric epilepsy.

Surgical treatment of pediatric focal cortical dysplasia Clinical spectrum and surgical outcome

Objective: To analyze the clinical presentation and outcomes of surgically treated focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) in children. Methods: We reviewed 75 cases of confirmed FCD by pathology after resective surgery. We used the pathologic classification proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy and included clinical profile and seizure and neurodevelopmental outcomes in analyses. Results: There were 11 cases of FCD type I, 34 of type IIa, 19 of type IIb, and 11 of type III. Fifty-one cases (68.0%) presented clinically as focal epilepsy (FE) and 24 (32.0%) as epileptic encephalopathy (EE), including 16 with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and 8 with West syndrome. We observed EE in 7 cases (63.6%) in FCD type I, 14 (41.2%) in type IIa, 2 (10.5%) in type IIb, and 1 (9.1%) in type III. We found the following more frequently in EE: seizure onset occurring at younger than 2 years (EE: 20 [83.3%], FE: 19 [37.3%]; p < 0.001), presence of intellectual disability before surgery (EE: 22 [91.7%], FE: 29 [56.9%]; p = 0.003), and multilobar resections (EE: 19 [79.2%], FE: 15 [29.4%]; p < 0.001). Forty-eight cases (64.0%) were seizure-free; 66.7% (34/51) in FE, 58.3% (14/24) in EE. Neurodevelopmental level showed more improvement (11/48 vs 0/27, p = 0.011) and less deterioration (2/48 vs 9/27, p = 0.001) in the seizure-free group compared to the non-seizure-free group. Conclusions: FCD can cause FE and EE in pediatric age, and resective surgery should be considered as a treatment option for both types of epilepsy.

Ketogenic Diet for the Management of Epilepsy Associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex in Children

Background and Purpose In the present study, we reviewed the outcome of ketogenic diet (KD) use for the management of epilepsy in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Methods A total of 12 children with intractable epilepsy associated with TSC who were treated with KD at our hospital between March 1, 2008 and February 28, 2015 were retrospectively enrolled. Results The mean age at the time of KD initiation was 73.1 ± 38.0 months. Patients were medically refractory to a mean of 4.8 ± 1.7 antiepileptic drugs. Nine patients (75.0%) had a history of infantile spasms. At 3 months after KD initiation, 10 patients (83.3%) had > 50% seizure reduction. Moreover, 7 patients (58.3%) exhibited qualitative improvements in cognition and behavior after KD initiation, as reported by caregivers/parents. The mean duration of dietary therapy was 14.8 ± 12.8 months. Half of the patients in this study eventually underwent epilepsy surgery due to persistent seizures or seizure relapse. Conclusion KD is an important non-pharmacological treatment option for patients with intractable epilepsy associated with TSC. KD may improve cognition and behavior in addition to reducing seizure frequency.

The Impact of a 35-Week Long-Term Exercise Therapy on Psychosocial Health of Children with Benign Epilepsy

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a 35-week exercise program and its efficacy on neurocognitive and psychological variables in children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes. Ten children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (aged 8 to 12 years) completed a 35-week exercise program consisting of supervised sport activities for 5 weeks and home-based exercise program for 30 weeks. The children and their parents participated in neurocognitive and psychological evaluations including measures of attention, executive function, behaviors, and quality of life at baseline and postexercise follow-up at the 35th week. At postintervention evaluation, significant improvements were seen relative to baseline in neurocognitive domains such as psychomotor speed, sustained attention, divided attention, and inhibition-disinhibition ability, and in psychological domains including internalizing behavior problems, general health, and general quality of life. Long-term exercise intervention may have benefits for some aspects of neurocognitive and psychological function in children with benign epilepsy.

Family factors contributing to emotional and behavioral problems in Korean adolescents with epilepsy.

PURPOSE We aimed to determine whether different aspects of family functioning are associated with emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents with epilepsy and, if not, to document any indirect associations mediated by other family factors. METHODS This was a cross-sectional, multicenter study. A total of 297 adolescents with epilepsy and their parents participated. Adolescent psychopathology was measured using the Youth Self-Report. Family factors were classified into proximal (parent-child interaction), distal (parent characteristics), and contextual factors (family characteristics) in accordance to their level of proximity to the adolescents everyday life. Regression analyses were used to analyze the unique and combined predictive power of family factors in relation to psychopathology. RESULTS In total, 44 (14.8%) and 51 (17.2%) adolescents with epilepsy scored above the borderline cutoff (T-score ≥ 60) of internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively. Proximal and distal factors were independently associated with both internalizing and externalizing problems. High levels of parental depressive mood and parental overcontrol were the strongest factors contributing to internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively. Contextual factors were indirectly associated with both internalizing and externalizing problems through more proximal factors. CONCLUSIONS Both proximal and distal family factors affect psychopathology in Korean adolescents with epilepsy. Parental feelings of depression and parental overcontrol are the strongest factors contributing to internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively.