Title:Epilepsy and Cognitive Impairment in Childhood and Adolescence: A
Mini-Review
Volume: 21
Issue: 8
Author(s): Francesca Felicia Operto, Grazia Maria Giovanna Pastorino*, Andrea Viggiano, Giovanni Battista Dell'Isola, Gianluca Dini, Alberto Verrotti and Giangennaro Coppola
Affiliation:
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno,
Baronissi, SA, Italy
Keywords:
Epilepsy, cognitive impairment, intellectual disability, anti-seizure medication, ketogenic diet, ganaxolone, gene therapy.
Abstract: Managing epilepsy in people with an intellectual disability remains a therapeutic challenge
and must take into account additional issues such as diagnostic difficulties and frequent drug
resistance. Advances in genomic technologies improved our understanding of epilepsy and raised
the possibility to develop patients-tailored treatments acting on the key molecular mechanisms involved
in the development of the disease. In addition to conventional antiseizure medications
(ASMs), ketogenic diet, hormone therapy and epilepsy surgery play an important role, especially in
cases of drugresistance. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mainfactors
influencing cognition in children and adolescents with epilepsy and the main therapeutic options
available for the epilepsies associated with intellectual disability.