Abstracts

Rationale: Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is a neurological condition that typically has onset between the ages of 4 and 8 in children, accounting for 2% to 8% of patients with epilepsy. CAE seizures consist of brief, abrupt staring spells in which the child is unresponsive and usually lasts less than 10 seconds. Growing research is rebutting the notion of CAE as a benign syndrome. Psychosocial, behavioral, and emotional problems have been identified in CAE at a greater rate than healthy peers, with many of the same issues persisting into adulthood despite disease remission by late adolescence. Long-term difficulties associated with co-morbid anxiety and depression are of particular concern for practitioners. Methods: The current study aimed to delineate differences in symptoms associated with anxiety and depression among CAE and healthy controls (HC) using the Behavior Assessment System for Children Parent Rating Scales (BASC-PRS), a comprehensive measure of a child s adaptive and problem behaviors in community and home settings. Subjects were recruited from the community via advertisements or referral from their neurologist. Our cohort consisted of 45 CAE and 42 HC subjects (ages 6-16) that were matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status using t-tests or Chi-square comparisons. Socioeconomic status information was obtained via self-report using the Hollingshead Four Factor Scale. The BASC-PRS and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) were administered to all subjects, and group differences were analyzed using Kruskal Wallis test and independent sample t-tests. Results: No significant differences were found between groups in regards to age, gender, socioeconomic status, or intelligence. Statistical differences between the groups were found on both global scales of the BASC-PRS associated with Anxiety (p < 0.001) and Depression (p = 0.005). Item analysis within the Anxiety Scale revealed a number of significant group differences, including items specific to worries, worries about things that cannot be changed, worries about what teachers think, says: I m not very good at this, and is nervous. Depression items such as cries easily, says: nobody understands me, is easily upset, and is sad were also significantly increased in the CAE group. Conclusions: Our findings suggest greater prevalence of a number of symptoms associated with increased anxiety and depression in CAE patients as compared to healthy counterparts. Many of the behaviors observed by parents are considered core symptoms of these conditions, and are often more chronic in nature, thus negatively impacting long-term development. These findings add to the growing literature stressing the importance of early identification and management of behavioral, emotional, and psychosocial factors associated with CAE in order to maximize quality of life and functional outcomes.