מתוך medicontext.co.il
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Children with autism also have a higher than average risk of epilepsy, researchers report. However, they point out that confirmation of epilepsy with EEG is not usually necessary.
"We know there is a higher rate of seizure disorders in autism," Dr. John Pomeroy told Reuters Health.
Dr. Pomeroy and colleagues at State University of New York in Stony Brook reviewed EEG findings for 38 autistic children. They found that 14 of these children (37%) also had epilepsy.
Dr. Pomeroy presented the findings on last week at the American Epilepsy Society meeting in Philadelphia. He noted, however, that epilepsy was already suspected in all but two of these children prior to obtaining the EEG results.
The investigators observed seizures, staring episodes, or a worsening of autistic symptoms, all of which suggested epilepsy, in 12 of the 14 autistic children. The remaining two autistic children were both functioning at a low level, which made it difficult to identify convulsions, staring, or a worsening of their autism symptoms.
The investigators conclude that the prevalence of epilepsy, "is higher than chance," in children with autism. However, they caution against conducting routine EEG's in all children with autism. "Unless there is clear-cut evidence of clinical seizures or a regression of autism," Dr. Pomeroy told Reuters Health, there is rarely epileptic-type activity revealed in the EEG.
Dr. Pomeroy's group noted that other behaviors seen in children with autism, such as breath holding spells and episodes of rage, rarely relate to epilepsy. None of the study children with episodes of rage or breath holding spells had epilepsy.
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