Psychological and social implications of epilepsy in adolescents
Artigas, J.
Revista de Neurologia 28(1): 43-49
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0210-0010 PMID: 10101763 Document Number: 500696
Cognitive and behavioral disorders are more common among adolescents with epilepsy compared to non-epileptic, healthy adolescents or adolescents with other chronic, nonneurological disorders, but estimates of the scope of this problem vary widely, depending of the samples investigated. Normal adolescent behavior can be a complication for individuals with epilepsy. The most common psychological symptoms in the adolescent with epilepsy are attention problems and behavior disorders. The behavioral and cognitive events associated with epilepsy are the product of a complex interaction among neurological, psychosocial and medication variables. The most relevant neurological factors are: epileptic brain damage, associated brain lesions, subclinical discharges and long term effects of epileptic activity. This review is undertaken to summarize the literature on epilepsy in adolescents with respect psychopathological and social problems.