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8 - Epilepsy in children and adolescents

from Part II - Epilepsy diagnosis and treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2009

By
Patricia Crumrine
Edited by
Martha J. Morrell  and
Kerry L. Flynn
Patricia Crumrine
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 3705 5th Avenue at DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Martha J. Morrell
Affiliation:
Columbia University, New York
Kerry L. Flynn
Affiliation:
Columbia-Presbyterian Cancer Center, New York
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Summary

Dr Patricia Crumrine is Professor of Pediatric Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a specialist in childhood epilepsy and a former member of the Epilepsy Foundation's Professional Advisory Board.

In this chapter she deals with epilepsy in girls and young women, reviewing the common epilepsy syndromes, treatment challenges, and educational and social concerns.

MJM

Seizures

Approximately 3.5% of all children will have experienced at least one seizure by the age of 15 years. However, only about 1% of children will develop epilepsy or recurrent seizures. Epilepsy arises most frequently during the first year of life. Its incidence (how many people develop the condition) remains high throughout childhood and adolescence and is higher in boys than in girls under the age of 10. Over the age of 10 years, there is not a significant difference between the frequency of development of epilepsy in boys and girls.

The cause of epilepsy is identifiable in only about 24% of childhood cases and is usually developmental. The medical evaluation may include an analysis of the blood cell count, hemoglobin, sugar, calcium, sodium, potassium, as well as other blood tests. The physician may also order an electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a test recording the electrical activity of brain cells. This test may predict the potential of having another seizure. Another possible test is a brain image, usually a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan.

Keywords

adolescentsantiepileptic drug interactionsepilepsy syndromesgeneralized tonic-clonic seizuresvitamin Dseizure disordersjuvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Type
Chapter
Information
Women with Epilepsy
A Handbook of Health and Treatment Issues
 , pp. 77 - 88
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2003

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References

Aicardi J. Epilepsy in Children. Raven Press, New York, 1994
Dodson WE. Pharmacokinetic principles of antiepileptic therapy in children. In Pediatric Epilepsy: Diagnosis and Therapy, ed. WE Dodson, JM Pellock. Demos Publications, New York, 1993, 231–40
Duchowny, M, Harvey, AS. Pediatric epilepsy syndromes. An update and critical review. Epilepsia 1996; 37 (Suppl. 1):S26–40Google Scholar
Guarino, EJ, Morrell, MJ. Management of the adolescent with epilepsy: hormones, antiepileptic drugs and reproductive health. Int Pediatr 1995; 10 (Suppl. 1):66–71Google Scholar
Leppick, IE. Metabolism of antiepileptic medications: newborn to elderly. Epilepsia 1992; 33 (Suppl. 4):32–44Google Scholar
Mims, J. Sexuality and related issues in the preadolescent and adolescent female with epilepsy. J Neurosci Nurs 1996; 28(2):102–6Google Scholar
Morrell, MJ. Hormones and epilepsy through the lifetime. Epilepsia 1992; 33 (Suppl. 4): S49–S61Google Scholar
Trimble MR. Behavioral and cognitive issues in childhood epilepsy. In Pediatric Epilepsy: Diagnosis and Therapy, ed. WE Dodson, JM Pellock. Demos Publications, New York, 1993, 387–408
Wildrick, D, Parker-Fisher, S, Morales, A. Quality of life in children with well-controlled epilepsy. J Neurosci Nurs 1996; 28(3):192–8Google Scholar

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