Epilepsy-related clinical factors and psychosocial functions in pediatric epilepsy

Soyong Eom; So-Hee Eun; Hoon-Chul Kang; Baik-Lin Eun; Sang Ook Nam; Sun Jun Kim; Hee Jung Chung; Soon Hak Kwon; Young-Mock Lee; Joon Soo Lee; Dong Wook Kim; Kyung Ja Oh; Heung Dong Kim

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.05.019

Epilepsy-related clinical factors and psychosocial functions in pediatric epilepsy

Epilepsy Behav. 2014 Aug:37:43-8. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.05.019. Epub 2014 Jun 25.

Authors

Soyong Eom¹, So-Hee Eun², Hoon-Chul Kang³, Baik-Lin Eun², Sang Ook Nam⁴, Sun Jun Kim⁵, Hee Jung Chung⁶, Soon Hak Kwon⁷, Young-Mock Lee⁸, Joon Soo Lee³, Dong Wook Kim⁹, Kyung Ja Oh¹⁰, Heung Dong Kim¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Epilepsy Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Pediatrics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
³ Division of Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Children's Hospital School of Medicine, Yangsan, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Chonbuk National University, Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Department of Pediatrics, National Health Insurance Corporation, Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Kyungpook National University College of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Younsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
¹¹ Division of Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Epilepsy Clinic, Severance Children's Hospital, Epilepsy Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hdkimmd@yuhs.ac.

PMID: 24972158
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.05.019

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the different influencing patterns of demographic and epilepsy-related variables on various aspects of psychosocial function in pediatric epilepsy.

Method: Five hundred ninety-eight patients with pediatric epilepsy between the ages of 4 and 18 years (boys=360, 60% and girls=238, 40%) and their parents participated in the study. Parents completed the Social Maturity Scale (SMS), the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), and the Korean version of the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy Questionnaire (K-QOLCE) to assess daily living function, behavior, and quality of life. The Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) was completed by clinicians to assess general adaptive function. Demographic variables, such as age and sex of child, and epilepsy-related clinical variables, including seizure type, seizure frequency, duration of epilepsy, and number of medications, were obtained from medical records.

Results: Demographic and epilepsy-related clinical variables had a strong influence (22-32%) on the cognition-related domain such as general adaptive function, school/total competence, and quality of life for cognitive function while a comparatively smaller effect (2-16%) on the more psychological domain including behavioral, emotional, and social variables. Younger age, shorter duration of illness, and smaller number of medications showed a strong positive impact on psychosocial function in pediatric epilepsy, particularly for adaptive function, competence, and quality-of-life aspects.

Conclusion: Given the wide range of impact of demographic and clinical variables on various facets of psychosocial functions, more specific understanding of the various aspects of factors and their particular pattern of influence may enable more effective therapeutic approaches that address both the medical and psychological needs in pediatric epilepsy.

Keywords: Behavioral problems; General adaptive function; Psychosocial function; Quality of life; School competence; Social competence.

Publication types

Evaluation Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Epilepsy / psychology*
Female
Humans
Male
Parents / psychology*
Pediatrics
Quality of Life / psychology*
Republic of Korea
Social Support*
Surveys and Questionnaires