The consequences of idiopathic partial epilepsies in relation to neuropsychological functioning: a closer look at the associated mathematical disability.

Although the seizure prognosis is mostly favorable in idiopathic partial epilepsies, there is some empirical evidence showing that subtle neuropsychological impairments, with a consequent risk of academic underachievement, are not rare. We investigated neuropsychological functioning including attention, memory, visuomotor ability, and executive functioning with a closer look at the associated mathematical ability in patients with idiopathic partial epilepsies. A battery of age-appropriate, neuropsychological and mathematics achievement tests was administered to 30 participants with idiopathic partial epilepsy [13 children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), 17 children with idiopathic childhood occipital epilepsies (ICOE)], and to 30 healthy participants matched for age, sex, handedness, and socioeconomic status.