Dataset Information

Age at onset of epilepsy, pharmacoresistance, and cognitive outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Increasing evidence suggests that uncontrolled seizures have deleterious effects on cognition and behavior, particularly in the developing brain.

Methods

In a community-based cohort, 198 children, aged <8 years with new-onset epilepsy were followed prospectively and reassessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) 8-9 years later. Linear regression analyses with interactions between age at onset (age) and pharmacoresistance (PR) were used to test whether earlier onset conveyed greater vulnerability to the effects of uncontrolled seizures. Full-scale IQ (FSIQ) and the 4 subdomain scores were examined. Adjustment for adaptive behavior scores in a subset was performed. A dichotomous indicator for IQ <80 or ?80 was used to permit inclusion of children who were not tested, particularly those who were untestable.

Results

FSIQ was not correlated with age. PR was associated with an 11.4 point lower FSIQ (p = 0.002) and similar decrements in each WISC-III domain. There were substantial age-PR interactions for FSIQ (p = 0.003) and 3 domain scores, indicating a lessening impact of PR with increasing age. The dichotomous IQ indicator was strongly correlated with age at onset in the pharmacoresistant group (p < 0.0001) and not in the non-pharmacoresistant group (p = 0.61). Adjustment for adaptive behavior measured near onset did not alter the conclusions.

Conclusions

Uncontrolled seizures impair cognitive function with effects being most severe in infancy and lessening with increasing age at onset. These findings further emphasize the need for early aggressive treatment and seizure control in infants and young children.

SUBMITTER: Berg AT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3448745 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Age at onset of epilepsy, pharmacoresistance, and cognitive outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

Berg Anne T AT Zelko Frank A FA Levy Susan R SR Testa Francine M FM

Neurology 20120912 13

<h4>Objectives</h4>Increasing evidence suggests that uncontrolled seizures have deleterious effects on cognition and behavior, particularly in the developing brain.<h4>Methods</h4>In a community-based cohort, 198 children, aged <8 years with new-onset epilepsy were followed prospectively and reassessed with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) 8-9 years later. Linear regression analyses with interactions between age at onset (age) and pharmacoresistance (PR) we ...[more]

PMID: 22972641

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Project description:IntroductionEpilepsy is one of the most common serious brain disorders, characterised by seizures that severely affect a person's quality of life and, frequently, their cognitive and mental health. Although most existing work has examined chronic epilepsy, newly diagnosed patients present a unique opportunity to understand the underlying biology of epilepsy and predict effective treatment pathways. The objective of this prospective cohort study is to examine whether cognitive dysfunction is associated with measurable brain architectural and connectivity impairments at diagnosis and whether the outcome of antiepileptic drug treatment can be predicted using these measures.Methods and analysis107 patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy from two National Health Service Trusts and 48 healthy controls (aged 16-65 years) will be recruited over a period of 30 months. Baseline assessments will include neuropsychological evaluation, structural and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), and a blood and saliva sample. Patients will be followed up every 6 months for a 24-month period to assess treatment outcomes. Connectivity- and network-based analyses of EEG and MRI data will be carried out and examined in relation to neuropsychological evaluation and patient treatment outcomes. Patient outcomes will also be investigated with respect to analysis of molecular isoforms of high mobility group box-1 from blood and saliva samples.Ethics and disseminationThis study was approved by the North West, Liverpool East Research Ethics Committee (19/NW/0384) through the Integrated Research Application System (Project ID 260623). Health Research Authority (HRA) approval was provided on 22 August 2019. The project is sponsored by the UoL (UoL001449) and funded by a UK Medical Research Council (MRC) research grant (MR/S00355X/1). Findings will be presented at national and international meetings and conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberIRAS Project ID 260623.

Project description:Background & hypothesisCognitive impairment is common in patients being evaluated for a kidney transplant (KT). The association between pretransplant cognitive function and posttransplant outcomes is unclear.Study designWe performed a prospective cohort study to assess the association between pretransplant cognitive function and clinically relevant posttransplant outcomes.Setting and populationIn this single center study, participants from the transplant clinic were evaluated during their pretransplant clinic visits and followed prospectively.OutcomesOur primary outcome measure was allograft function. Secondary outcomes were length of hospitalization for KT, hospital readmission within 30 and 90 days, graft loss, graft rejection within 90 days and 1 year, and mortality.Analytic approachWe measured cognitive function with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. We assessed the association of pretransplant MoCA score with posttransplant outcomes; we used linear mixed effects models to assess the association with the change in estimated glomerular filtration rate, Poisson regression for length of hospitalization, Cox proportional hazard model for graft loss and mortality, and a logistic regression model for readmission and rejection.ResultsWe followed 501 participants for 2.7 ± 1.5 years. The mean age of the patients was 53 ± 14 years and the mean pretransplant MoCA score was 25 ± 3. Lower pretransplant MoCA scores did not adversely affect the primary outcome of allograft function or the secondary outcomes. Although higher MoCA scores predicted a higher decline in graft function (β = -0.28, 95% CI: -0.55 to -0.01, P = 0.04), the effect was small and not clinically significant. Older age was associated with longer hospitalization, lower likelihood of rejection, and higher mortality. Deceased donor KT (vs living donor KT) was associated with longer hospitalization but better graft function. Longer time receiving dialysis before KT was associated with longer hospitalization. A history of diabetes mellitus was associated with higher mortality.LimitationsSingle center study limiting generalizability.ConclusionsPretransplant MoCA scores were not associated with the primary outcome of allograft function or the secondary outcomes.

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Dataset Information

Age at onset of epilepsy, pharmacoresistance, and cognitive outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Age at onset of epilepsy, pharmacoresistance, and cognitive outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

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