Abstracts

Rationale: Some research on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has suggested that those diagnosed are actually understimulated not overstimulated, which is why stimulants are used in treatment. For some children introducing or increasing involvement in activities and/or sports may be an alternative source of stimulation. There have been some findings of improved frustration tolerance and ability to focus and decreased behavioral issues with involvement in such. Children with epilepsy typically demonstrate signs of ADHD. Therefore any treatments or recommendations targeting such would be useful with this population as well. This study examined the relationship between ADHD symptomology and numbers of sports and activities among children with epilepsy, with consideration towards potential recommendations. It has been suggested that for children with ADHD, participation may also improve peer relations. Potential impact on social functioning was therefore also examined.Methods: A total of 33 cases of children with diagnoses of epilepsy were included in the study, with 14 males and 5 females. The age range was 6 to 18 years. All subjects had a documented history of epileptogenic activity on EEG studies. Parents of subjects completed the Conners 3 Parent to obtain numbers of ADHD symptoms and levels of social difficulties. Parents also completed the Achenbach Children Behavior Checklist to obtain numbers of sports and activities in which children were involved and levels of social difficulties. Correlations between such were done using SPSS/Excel programs.Results: No significant correlations were noted between number of inattention symptoms and numbers of sports or activities. While not significant, a positive trend was noted for number of hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms and activities. A significant negative relationship was noted between level of social difficulty and number of sports. While not significant, a negative trend was noted for level of social difficulty and number of activitiesConclusions: These findings demonstrated no significant relationship between ADHD symptomology and numbers of activities or sports in which children with epilepsy were involved. It is possible that the small sample size of the study may have been an important factor. It also possible that reduced variance of the numbers of sports and activities may have been a factor. It is also possible that the design of the study may have influenced the results. A future study examining potential changes in ADHD symptomology over time for children with epilepsy given ongoing involvement in sports and activities may be useful, as similarly designed studies have demonstrated improvements in cognitive functioning and behavior. On the other hand, a significant negative relationship was noted between involvement in sports and level of social difficulties, consistent with prior findings. This suggested some social benefit to involvement in sports for children with epilepsy, and consideration should be given to such when making recommendations regarding behavioral issues (but with consideration also given to safety concerns).