Clinical and neuropsychological assessment of executive function in a sample of children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy / Avaliação clínica e neuropsicológica das funções executivas em uma amostra de crianças e adolescentes com epilepsia idiopática

Objective To compare the executive functions of children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy with a control group and to correlate with clinical data, intelligence and academic performance. Method Cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study. Thirty-one cases and thirty-five controls were evaluated by the WCST (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test).The results were compared with clinical data (seizure type and frequency, disease duration and number of antiepileptic drugs used), IQ (WISC-III) and academic performance (APT). Results Patients with epilepsy had poorer executive function scores. There was no positive linear correlation between test scores and epilepsy variables. There was a positive association between academic performance and some executive function results. Conclusion Children with well controlled idiopathic epilepsy may show deficits in executive functions in spite of clinical variables. Those deficits may influence academic performance. .

Objetivo Comparar as funções executivas de crianças e adolescentes com epilepsia idiopática com um grupo controle e correlacioná-las com dados clínicos, nível intelectual, desempenho acadêmico. Método Estudo transversal, descritivo e analítico. Foram avaliados 31 casos e 35 controles através do WCST (Wisconsin Card SortingTest). Os resultados foram comparados com dados clínicos (tipo e frequência de crises, duração da doença e número de drogas antiepilépticas utilizadas), QI (WISC-III) e desempenho acadêmico (TDE). Resultados Pacientes com epilepsia tiveram piores resultados de funções executivas. Não houve correlação linear positiva entre a pontuação nos testes e as variáveis da epilepsia. Houve associação positiva entre desempenho acadêmico e alguns resultados de função executiva. Conclusão Crianças com epilepsia idiopática bem controlada podem apresentar déficit de função executiva não relacionado a aspectos clínicos. Isso pode influenciar o rendimento acadêmico. .

Epidemiología clínica de la epilepsia en niños y adolescentes del municipio Sancti Spíritus / Clinical epidemiology epilepsy in children and adolescents of Sancti Spíritus municipality

Introducción: la epilepsia es una enfermedad crónica no transmisible caracterizada por su elevada prevalencia en las edades más jóvenes. Objetivos: describir las características clínico epidemiológicas de los niños y adolescentes con diagnóstico de epilepsia, radicados en el municipio de Sancti Spíritus. Metodología: se realizó una investigación descriptiva de corte transversal de enero a diciembre del año 2011; en el análisis de los datos se emplearon técnicas de estadística descriptiva. Resultados: s e registró una prevalencia de pacientes con epilepsia de 7,86 por cada 1000 habitantes, la que resultó mayor entre los 10 y 18 años de edad, con similar distribución en ambos sexos y predominio en la raza blanca. Resultaron más frecuentes en estos pacientes las crisis focales. Todos los enfermos están escolarizados y el 92,8 % se encuentran controlados en su consultorio de la familia. Conclusiones: Los resultados encontrados en cuanto a prevalencia de epilepsia en niños y adolescentes radicados en el municipio Sancti Spiritus, resultan superiores a la prevalencia estimada para Cuba. Existió un predominio de las crisis focales y un elevado porcentaje de control de los enfermos según la educación escolarizada y el seguimiento de estos pacientes en la atención primaria de salud.

Background: epilepsy is a non transmissible chronic disease characterized by its prevalence in the younger ages. Objectives: to describe the clinical epidemiological characteristics in children and adolescents with epilepsy diagnosis living in Sancti Spíritus. Methodology: a descriptive investigation was carried out in a transversal cut from January to December 2011; in the data analysis some descriptive statistical techniques were used. Results: it was registered a prevalence of patients with epilepsy of 7.86 per every 1000 inhabitants which was greater between 10 and 18 years old with similar distribution in both sexes mainly in the white race. Focal crisis were the most frequent in these patients. All the patients have 92.8 % of school level and they are controlled by their family doctors. Conclusions: the results found according to the prevalence of epilepsy in children and adolescents in Sancti Spíritus municipality are higher than the prevalence estimated in Cuba . There were more focal crisis and high percentage of control of the patient according to the education level and the follow up of these in the primary care of health.

Identificacion de creencias sobre la epilepsia en pacientes que padecen la enfermedad / Identification of beliefs on the epilepsy in patients that suffer the illness

Fueron estudiados catorce pacientes procedentes de la consulta especializada de epilepsia del Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana con el objetivo de Identificar las creencias más frecuentes que tienen los pacientes con epilepsia sobre la enfermedad. El instrumento utilizado fue el cuestionario sobre creencias en la epilepsia, el cual fue diseñado y validado para esta investigación. En general se precisó que en la mayoría de los pacientes persisten creencias erróneas acerca de la enfermedad, dadas por el desconocimiento, la desinformación y la influencia de algunas redes de apoyo social como son la familia, los amigos y la comunidad. La identificación de esta situación nos alerta sobre la necesidad urgente de elaborar una estrategia educativa dirigida a facilitar la obtención de información científica actualizada acerca de la epilepsia y a desarrollar mecanismos de afrontamiento que mejoren los niveles de adaptación psicosocial de los pacientes con esta enfermedad.

Fourteen patients coming from the specialized consultation of epilepsy of the Psychiatric Hospital of Havana were studied with the objective of identifying the most frequent beliefs that the patients with epilepsy have of the illness. The instrument used was the questionnaire that has more than enough beliefs in the epilepsy. This instrument was designed and validated for this investigation. In general in most of the patients erroneous beliefs persist about the illness, given by the ignorance, disinformation and it influences of some nets of social support as are the family, the friends and the community. The identification of this situation alert us about the urgent necessity of elaborating an educational strategy directed to facilitate the obtaining of scientific up-to-date information about epilepsy and to develop confrontation mechanisms that improve the levels of the patients' psychosocial adaptation with this illness.