[Epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy]

Abstract

The incidence of epilepsy in 110 patients with cerebral palsy (the majority with spastic tetraplegia) was 46,4%. Almost half of the patients with spastic tetraplegia (45%) and hemiplegia (52%) had epilepsy. The incidence was lower in patients with spastic diplegia (32%). Half of epilepsy in spastic hemiplegia were partial seizures and the other half consisted of generalized seizures, while generalized tonic-clonic episodes predominated in all other forms of C.P. A high incidence of West syndrome was observed in patients with spastic tetraplegia. Etiological factors of C.P. were perinatal in 75%. 16,65% had neonatal antecedents of convulsions; most of them had spastic tetraplegia (75%) and a significant mental retardation. A low intelligence quotient (I.Q.) was seen in most of the children with epilepsy, and patients with tetraplegia had significantly lower intelligence quotient than other groups.