Biomaterial Database

Behavior and learning problems in epileptic children. 1975

D Whitehouse

In this modern age of rapidly advancing medical knowledge and technology there are few conditions as wrapped up in ignorance and prejudice as that known as epilepsy. A large part of the reason for this lies in the concept of the "epileptic person," by which is really meant the epileptic personality. In an attempt to assess behavior and learning in children with seizures, behavior and learning being regarded as opposite sides of the same coin, a study was designed in which totally objective neurological and psychological data was obtained from such a group of children. The evaluation was carried out without any prior knowledge of the nature of the presenting clinical picture, so as to prevent bias from pre-conceived notions. The results show that 70% of the first 200 children showed significant learning defects sufficient to make special educational placement mandatory. Of the remaining 30% some still showed minor learning problems enough to give rise to difficulties in regular classroom situations. Associated with these learning problems were varying behavioral reaction types, varying from the classical hyperactive child with minimal cerebral dysfunction to many environmentally-produced behavior difficulties resulting from faulty school placement due to failure to recognize learning problems. Faculty parental handling due to similar failure to realize the child's limitations also contributed to this. The significance of these findings with respect to the behavior disturbances of the so-called epileptic child will be discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007859	Learning Disabilities	Conditions characterized by a significant discrepancy between an individual's perceived level of intellect and their ability to acquire new language and other cognitive skills. These may result from organic or psychological conditions. Relatively common subtypes include DYSLEXIA, DYSCALCULIA, and DYSGRAPHIA.	Adolescent Learning Disabilities,Adult Learning Disabilities,Child Learning Disabilities,Developmental Academic Disability,Developmental Academic Disorder,Developmental Disabilities of Scholastic Skills,Learning Disabilities, Adolescent,Learning Disabilities, Child,Learning Disorders,Academic Disorder, Developmental,Adult Learning Disorders,Developmental Disorders of Scholastic Skills,Learning Disorders, Adult,Learning Disturbance,Scholastic Skills Development Disorders,Academic Disabilities, Developmental,Academic Disability, Developmental,Academic Disorders, Developmental,Adolescent Learning Disability,Adult Learning Disability,Adult Learning Disorder,Child Learning Disability,Developmental Academic Disabilities,Developmental Academic Disorders,Disabilities, Adolescent Learning,Disabilities, Adult Learning,Disabilities, Child Learning,Disabilities, Developmental Academic,Disabilities, Learning,Disability, Adolescent Learning,Disability, Adult Learning,Disability, Child Learning,Disability, Developmental Academic,Disability, Learning,Disorder, Learning,Disorders, Adult Learning,Disorders, Learning,Disturbance, Learning,Disturbances, Learning,Learning Disabilities, Adult,Learning Disability,Learning Disability, Adolescent,Learning Disability, Adult,Learning Disability, Child,Learning Disorder,Learning Disorder, Adult,Learning Disturbances
D008297	Male		Males
D008607	Intellectual Disability	Subnormal intellectual functioning which originates during the developmental period. This has multiple potential etiologies, including genetic defects and perinatal insults. Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores are commonly used to determine whether an individual has an intellectual disability. IQ scores between 70 and 79 are in the borderline range. Scores below 67 are in the disabled range. (from Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1992, Ch55, p28)	Disability, Intellectual,Idiocy,Mental Retardation,Retardation, Mental,Deficiency, Mental,Intellectual Development Disorder,Mental Deficiency,Mental Retardation, Psychosocial,Deficiencies, Mental,Development Disorder, Intellectual,Development Disorders, Intellectual,Disabilities, Intellectual,Disorder, Intellectual Development,Disorders, Intellectual Development,Intellectual Development Disorders,Intellectual Disabilities,Mental Deficiencies,Mental Retardations, Psychosocial,Psychosocial Mental Retardation,Psychosocial Mental Retardations,Retardation, Psychosocial Mental,Retardations, Psychosocial Mental
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002653	Child Behavior Disorders	Disturbances considered to be pathological based on age and stage appropriateness, e.g., conduct disturbances and anaclitic depression. This concept does not include psychoneuroses, psychoses, or personality disorders with fixed patterns.	Childhood Behavior Disorders,Behavior Disorder, Child,Behavior Disorder, Childhood,Child Behavior Disorder,Childhood Behavior Disorder,Disorder, Childhood Behavior
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004495	Education of Intellectually Disabled	The teaching or training of those individuals with subnormal intellectual functioning.	Education of Mentally Defective,Education of Mentally Retarded,Education, Mentally Retarded,Mentally Retarded Education,Disabled Education, Intellectually,Disabled Educations, Intellectually,Intellectually Disabled Education,Intellectually Disabled Educations,Mentally Defective Education
D004569	Electroencephalography	Recording of electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp, to the surface of the brain, or placed within the substance of the brain.	EEG,Electroencephalogram,Electroencephalograms
D004827	Epilepsy	A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313)	Aura,Awakening Epilepsy,Seizure Disorder,Epilepsy, Cryptogenic,Auras,Cryptogenic Epilepsies,Cryptogenic Epilepsy,Epilepsies,Epilepsies, Cryptogenic,Epilepsy, Awakening,Seizure Disorders