| INVITED REVIEW |
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| Year : 2008 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 1 | Page : 30-34 |
Cognitive development and pediatric epilepsy surgery
Santhosh George Thomas1, Roy Thomas Daniel1, Paul Swamidhas Sudhakar Russell2
1 Department of Neurological Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
2 Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
Correspondence Address:
Roy Thomas Daniel
Department of Neurological Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/1817-1745.40587
Children with intractable epilepsy are at considerable risk for cognitive impairment, school failure, behaviour and mental health problems and overall compromised quality of life. It influences the development of cognitive functions during the period of brain plasticity. Fifty percent of patients with intractable epilepsy have surgically remediable epilepsy syndromes. Epilepsy surgery can lead to seizure freedom following which development of functions in the residual brain occur which leads to cognitive improvement. Social aspects, side effects of antiepileptics, seizure perception and the overall level of quality of life are found to improve after surgery. The nature of the underlying brain disorder giving rise to the seizures appears to affect outcome. Follow up period is essential to determine effects of cognition after epilepsy surgery. It should be long enough for reconfiguration of the individual, family functioning and for restitution at the level of brain plasticity to occur.
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