Social functioning of children after epilepsy surgery: A literature review.

This literature review on social functioning of children after epilepsy surgery is based on 24 papers addressing two categories of social functioning: social cognition (n = 4) and general social functioning (n = 20). Overall, studies that compared with healthy peers revealed children who had undergone epilepsy surgery to have more problems in both social cognition and general social functioning. Half of the studies found some improvement in social functioning in the first year(s) after epilepsy surgery, but this pertained to general social functioning, not to social cognition.

Epilepsy surgery in children: no further threat to theory of mind.

To investigate whether theory of mind (ToM), an important requirement for adaptive social functioning, is different between children with pharmacologically refractory epilepsy who undergo epilepsy surgery and healthy control children, whether ToM is affected by epilepsy surgery in these children, and whether ToM is associated with demographic or epilepsy variables. The "ToM storybooks", a psychometrically sound ToM instrument designed for children, was administered shortly before and 0.5, one and two years after surgery as part of a neuropsychological assessment.

Parents experience problems in psychological and family functioning two to four years after their child's epilepsy surgery.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore whether parents experience problems in their own psychological wellbeing and their family functioning two to four years after their child's epilepsy surgery and whether these problems are associated with epilepsy variables, demographic and cognitive variables, and parent-observed behavior problems of the child.

Methods: Of the 65 approached families, parents of 31 children participated by completing the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Family Questionnaire, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). High scores indicating clinically relevant problems were reported and called 'problem scores'.

Personality traits of children before and after epilepsy surgery.

We studied how children with epilepsy (CWE) who are candidates for epilepsy surgery, perceive themselves with respect to overarching personality traits and whether the traits change after surgery. We explored influences of demographic and illness variables. A total of 23 CWE [mean age at inclusion 12.

Lexicon before and after epilepsy surgery in adolescents.

Objective: Poor performance on confrontation naming tasks by children and adolescents with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy has been interpreted as indicating impairments of lexicon, that is, the store of words in long-term memory. However, confrontation naming performance crucially depends not only on word knowledge but also on other functions such as fluency. We applied an alternative method to assess lexicon with the aim of tracing deficits in lexicon before and after surgery in adolescents with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy.

The spectrum of long-term cognitive and functional outcome after hemispherectomy in childhood.

Purpose: To evaluate cognition, behavior, daily functioning and health-related quality of life (HrQoL) five years to more than a decade after hemispherectomy (HE) in childhood.

Methods: This countrywide Dutch cohort study of 31 patients, who underwent HE between 1994 and 2009, included a semi-structured interview with parents, an assessment of cognition, and screening of behavioral problems and HrQoL.

Results: Twenty-two school-age children and young adults [median age 13.

Two years after epilepsy surgery in children: Recognition of emotions expressed by faces.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether children with epilepsy surgery in their history are able to recognize emotions expressed by faces and whether this recognition is associated with demographic variables [age, sex, and verbal intelligence (VIQ)] and/or epilepsy variables (epilepsy duration, side of the surgery, surgery area, resection of the amygdala, etiology, antiepileptic drug use, and seizure freedom).

Methods: Two years after epilepsy surgery, the Facial Expression of Emotion: Stimuli and Tests (FEEST) was administered to 41 patients (age: 4-20years, mean: 13.5years, 24 girls) and 82 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Parental education predicts change in intelligence quotient after childhood epilepsy surgery.

Objective: To know whether change in the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children who undergo epilepsy surgery is associated with the educational level of their parents.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of data obtained from a cohort of children who underwent epilepsy surgery between January 1996 and September 2010. We performed simple and multiple regression analyses to identify predictors associated with IQ change after surgery.

Parenting stress does not normalize after child's epilepsy surgery.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate parenting stress expressed by parents before and two years after their children's epilepsy surgery.

Subjects: Parents of 31 consecutively included surgery patients with epilepsy and parents of 31 healthy sex- and age-matched control children were the subjects of this study. Materials and procedure: The questionnaire 'Parenting Stress Index', which distinguishes a Parent domain (stress leading parents to feel themselves inadequate) from a Child domain (child features felt by parent to cause stress) was completed before surgery of the patients and two years thereafter.

Visual memory after epilepsy surgery in children: a standardized regression-based analysis of group and individual outcomes.

Visual memory is vulnerable to epilepsy surgery in adults, but studies in children suggest no change or small improvements. We investigated visual memory after epilepsy surgery, both group-wise and in individual children, using two techniques to assess change: 1) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and 2) an empirically based technique for detecting cognitive change [standardized regression-based (SRB) analysis]. A prospective cohort consisting of 21 children completed comprehensive assessments of memory both before surgery (T0) and 6 (T1), 12 (T2), and 24 months (T3) after surgery.

Verbal memory after epilepsy surgery in childhood.

Purpose: To investigate verbal memory after epilepsy surgery both group-wise and at the level of individual children, and to assess associations with side of surgery and removal of the temporal lobe.

Methods: A prospective controlled study in a consecutive sample of 21 children undergoing epilepsy surgery, with comprehensive assessments of verbal memory before surgery and six, 12 and 24 months after surgery. For each patient, two age- and gender-matched controls were tested at similar intervals.

'With the benefit of hindsight': would you opt again for epilepsy surgery performed in childhood?

Background: How adolescents and their caregivers look back on epilepsy surgery performed in early life, and whether epilepsy-related restrictions are still in force years after the operation, are insufficiently known.

Aims: To obtain retrospective evaluations of the decision for epilepsy surgery at an early age, and to inventory current epilepsy-related restrictions.

Methods: Of 177 children who underwent epilepsy surgery between 1992 and 2009, 129 could be approached.

Hemispherectomy: a basis for mental development in children with epilepsy.

To detect change in mental development or intelligence over two years following hemispherectomy in children with pharmacologically intractable epilepsy. Seventeen infants and preschoolers (median age at epilepsy onset of 0.0 years and at hemispherectomy 1.

Pragmatic communication deficits in children with epilepsy.

Background: Various psychiatric and neurological disorders including epilepsy have been associated with language deficits. Pragmatic language deficits, however, have seldom been the focus of earlier studies in children with epilepsy. Moreover, it is unknown whether these pragmatic deficits are related to general intellectual functioning.

Medication policy after epilepsy surgery.

The postsurgical medication policy was reviewed for 109 children (age at surgery, 0-16 years) who had epilepsy surgery between 1991 and 2005. Intervals between surgery and both start (n = 84) and completion (n = 68) of withdrawal of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were calculated and analyzed in relation to demographic and epilepsy variables and to recurrent seizures. Postoperative seizure freedom was associated with completeness of surgical resection, defined as complete removal of the cortical region exhibiting ictal or interictal abnormalities on intracranial electroencephalography and lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (P = 0.

Language development before and after temporal surgery in children with intractable epilepsy.

Purpose: To obtain systematic knowledge of language development before and after epilepsy surgery in regions that, if damaged, are known to entail language impairment in adults.

Methods: Twenty-four children (mean age 11 years; range 5.8-15.

Restrictions in social participation of young adults with spina bifida.

Purpose: To determine participation restrictions of young adults with spina bifida (SB) in relation to health condition and activity limitations.

Method: A total of 179 persons aged 16-25 years and born with SB participated in a cross-sectional study. The main outcome on four domains of participation (independent living, employment, education and partner relationships) was assessed using a structured questionnaire.

Behaviour is not really at risk after surviving meningitis in childhood.

Aim: To examine behaviour problems, personality, self-perceived competence and academic deficits in children who had recovered from non-Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacterial meningitis (BM) without obvious medical sequelae.

Methods: Assessments in 182 children, mean age 10 (range 5-14) years, 4-10 years after surviving meningitis, were compared to scores of norm reference groups.

Results: More children were estimated to have academic deficits (27%) than behaviour problems as perceived by the parents (9%).

Stesolid emergency treatment: cave social fear!

Purpose: To explore psychosocial effects of rectiole emergency treatment.

Methods: Children who had at some time been treated with Stesolid rectiole for seizure relief were questioned about feelings of shame in relation to this treatment and their expectation of bullying by peers who might be aware of it. In addition to parental shame, parental worries concerning their children's epilepsy were explored.

Overlapping neurologic and cognitive phenotypes in patients with TSC1 or TSC2 mutations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to systematically analyze the associations between different TSC1 and TSC2 mutations and the neurologic and cognitive phenotype in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

Methods: Mutation analysis was performed in 58 patients with TSC. Epilepsy variables, including EEG, were classified.

Cognitive impairment in tuberous sclerosis complex is a multifactorial condition.

Objective: In patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), associations between tuber number, infantile spasms, and cognitive impairment have been proposed. We hypothesized that the tuber/brain proportion (TBP), the proportion of the total brain volume occupied by tubers, would be a better determinant of seizures and cognitive function than the number of tubers. We investigated tuber load, seizures, and cognitive function and their relationships.

Life satisfaction of young adults with spina bifida.

This study concerns life satisfaction and its determinants in Dutch young adults with spina bifida (SB). Data on life satisfaction (Life Satisfaction Questionnaire [LiSat-9]) were related to hydrocephalus, lesion level, disabilities, and demographic variables. In total, 179 young adults with SB participated (41% male, age range 16-25y; 79% SB aperta, 67% hydrocephalus [HC], 39% wheelchair-dependent).

Epilepsy surgery in tuberous sclerosis: the Dutch experience.

Introduction: Epilepsy associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is drug resistant in more than half of the patients. Epilepsy surgery may be an alternative treatment option, if the epileptogenic tuber can be identified reliably and if seizure reduction is not at the expense of cognitive or other functions. We report the pre-surgical identification of the epileptogenic tuber and post-surgical outcome of patients with TSC in The Netherlands.

No deterioration in epilepsy and motor function in children with medically intractable epilepsy ineligible for surgery.

The aim of this study was to examine whether severity of epilepsy, motor functioning, and epilepsy-related restrictions change in children with medically intractable epilepsy who are ineligible for epilepsy surgery. The study was a prospective, longitudinal, 2-year follow-up of 28 children (14 females, 14 males). Their median age was 6 years 1 month (range 7mo-15y 4mo).

Resective epilepsy surgery in childhood: the Dutch experience 1992-2002.

Purpose: We present the outcome of resective epilepsy surgery in 69 pediatric patients who participated in the Dutch Collaborative Epilepsy Surgery Program (DCESP) between 1992 and 2002 with special emphasis on long-term follow-up.

Methods: Sixty-nine children (aged 3 months to 17 years) operated on before 2003 were included in this study (34 temporal resections (49%), 17 extra-temporal resections (24%) and 19 hemispherectomies (27%)). Engel classification was used to assess seizure outcome annually.