Table of Contents
Do children with epilepsy have learning difficulties?
Approximately 50 percent of children with epilepsy have some form of learning difficulty. The functions most often influenced by epilepsy are speech and language, attention, memory, and executive functioning. Anticonvulsant medications can sometimes affect cognitive function but are generally very well tolerated.
Can a child outgrow Doose syndrome?
In some cases, your child can outgrow Doose syndrome if they get the proper care and treatment.
Is Doose syndrome a disability?
Doose syndrome is not a guarantee of long term intellectual disability, but it will take a holistic approach to maximize your child’s potential outcome. In 94% of the cases, epilepsy starts within the first five years of life. Often this occurs between 2 and 3 but can range from as early as one month to five years.
Does epilepsy cause intellectual disability?
Most people with epilepsy do not have intellectual disabilities, but a substantial minority of people with intellectual disabilities have epilepsy. Epilepsy is known to be a potentially disabling, chronic and socially isolating condition. A diagnosis of Epilepsy even now still carries a stigma.
Is epilepsy considered a learning disability?
Generally, having a learning disability does not cause epilepsy, and having epilepsy does not cause a learning disability. Some people may have epilepsy and learning disabilities, and both may be caused by the same underlying problem in the way their brain works.
Can absence seizures cause developmental delays in toddlers?
Unlike other types, absence seizures occur without an aura, or warning. Many children with this form of epilepsy have typical intellectual abilities. However, some children may have developmental and intellectual impairments and experience other types of seizures as well.
Can Absence seizures cause developmental delays in toddlers?
What is the cause of Doose syndrome?
Doose syndrome is a rare form of early childhood epilepsy that usually begins between the ages of 1 and 5. The median age at onset is 3 years old. Children are usually developing normally prior to onset. Currently, the cause of this condition is still undetermined though it is believed to be genetic.
Do seizures cause intellectual disability?
The observation that intellectual disability occurs in the XLID syndromes, whether seizures are present or not, suggests that the seizures do not cause the intellectual disability but rather is a consequence of an underlying disturbance in the structure and/or function of the neuronal network.
What is the relationship between learning disabilities and epilepsy?
Epilepsy is more common in people with a learning disability than in the general population. About 1 in 3 people (32%) who have a mild to moderate learning disability also have epilepsy. The more severe the learning disability, the more likely that the person will also have epilepsy.
Can epilepsy cause mental retardation?
Epilepsy itself does not cause severe intellectual problems, but the two can occur together and be caused by the same thing. For example, low oxygen, injury or infection at birth may cause mental retardation, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. In young children, development can be delayed due to uncontrolled seizures.
What of people with epilepsy have a learning disability?
Around 1 in 5 people (20%) with epilepsy also have a learning disability.
Do seizures damage the brain?
Most types of seizures do not cause damage to the brain. However, having a prolonged, uncontrolled seizure can cause harm. Because of this, treat any seizure lasting over 5 minutes as a medical emergency.
Can seizures cause mental retardation?
What is Doose syndrome?
Doose syndrome is a rare seizure disorder that begins during early childhood. This condition is also called myoclonic astatic epilepsy and myoclonic atonic epilepsy. Doose syndrome is considered a type of generalized epilepsy.
Does epilepsy affect cognitive development in children with Doose syndrome?
Doose syndrome is a rare epileptic syndrome that can lead to learning difficulties and a poor quality of life. The goal of this study is to evaluate the evolution of epilepsy and its consequences on cognitive development and learning issues in children with Doose syndrome.
What are the treatment options for Doose syndrome children?
Surgery is typically a later option for Doose syndrome children. Because the syndrome is considered a generalized disorder (entire brain simultaneously) many surgical interventions are not available as they only work for focal seizures.
What tests are used to diagnose Doose syndrome?
Brain imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT), may be done as well. The brain structure as detected by imaging tests is typically completely normal in children who have Doose syndrome.