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. 2008 Feb;30(2):126-30.
doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2007.07.002. Epub 2007 Aug 17.

Parental view of epilepsy in Rett Syndrome

Nadia Bahi-Buisson  1 , Isabelle Guellec, Rima Nabbout, Agnès Guet, Gérard Nguyen, Olivier Dulac, Catherine Chiron
Affiliations

Parental view of epilepsy in Rett Syndrome

Nadia Bahi-Buisson et al. Brain Dev. 2008 Feb.

Erratum in

  • Brain Dev. 2009 Mar;31(3):253. Nadia, Bahi-Buisson [corrected to Bahi-Buisson, Nadia]; Isabelle, Guellec [corrected to Guellec, Isabelle]; Rima, Nabbout [corrected to Nabbout, Rima]; Agnès, Guet [corrected to Guet, Agnès]; Gérard, Nguyen [corrected to Nguyen, Gérard]; Olivier, Dulac

Abstract

Few instruments exist to measure the impact of epilepsy on the quality of life in Rett Syndrome (RS).

Methods: We attended to describe seizures characteristics, parental opinion and quality of life related in RS by using a newly developed self administered questionnaire, postal sent to parents of French Association for Rett Syndrome (AFSR).

Results: Two-hundred completed questionnaires were returned. Mean age of patients was 14.8+/-8.1 years [3-42]. Parents reported that 70% of children had epileptic and non-epileptic seizures and mean age at first seizures was 7.3+/-5.1 years [1-24]. No statistical difference was found between the ages of first seizures, diagnosis of epilepsy and introduction of treatment. Seizures had a negative impact on child and family's life (68% of cases), strongly correlated to the existence of generalized, prolonged, cyanotic and drug-resistant seizures, on the child's level of alertness and progress in communication skills and psycho-social consequences such as fear of seizures, and difficulties to find home care aids.

Conclusions: We identified major concerns of parents with RS that determine the impact of seizures on children and their family's quality of life. Our results suggest that in order to improve seizures management in RS, better information should reduce fear about seizures and should improve the quality of life of RS.

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