Cross Sectional Prevalence of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder in Children with Epilepsy

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Student of Ma in Child clinical psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate professorof psychology, Faculty of psychology and education, University of Semnan, Semnan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy are both among common childhood disorders. Children with epilepsy are at a high risk for symptoms of ADHD. The purpose of the current study was to explore the prevalence of ADHD and its subtypes in children suffering from idiopathic epilepsy.
 Materials and Methods
The participants were 55 voluntary children with idiopathic epilepsy (29 boys and 26 girls) who went to Semnan Amir al’momenin hospital and Mashhad Ghaem hospital from December 2011 to June 2012. Criteria for entering this study included having age of 7 to 16 years old, diagnosis of epilepsy by neurology specialist and considering his/her dossier, seizures began at least 1 year ago and, outgoing criteria included to have one of psychiatric disorders (brain paralysis, autism,..), mental retardation (IQ<85). Parents of participants have completed the SNAP-IV questionnaire - Parent versions.
Results
The findings showed that the prevalence of ADHD was 21.8% in epilepsy children. Prevalence of subtypes was 9.1%, 7.3% and 5.5% for inattentive, the hyperactive and combined types, respectively. The hyperactive type was more prevalent in generalized epilepsy and the combined type in partial epilepsy. In addition, the combined type was accompanied by various drugs in order to control the epilepsy. Sex and educational level didn’t have a moderating role.
Conclusion
High prevalence of ADHD in children suffered from epilepsy necessitates the attention to medical interventions and prevention programs.

Keywords

medical journal of mashhad university of medical sciences
Volume 56, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
September and October 2013
Pages 219-225

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