A Comparative Study of Clinical and Electroencephalographic Findings of the Children with Epilepsy with or without Cerebral palsy in a Tertiary Health Facility in Nigeria
Main Article Content
Keywords
Children, Epilepsy , Cerebral Palsy, Electroencephalography
Abstract
Background: Epilepsy, whether occurring alone or with cerebral palsy (CP), is among the most common neurological disorders seen in paediatric neurology clinics in Nigeria. Management requires accurate diagnosis and classification, which becomes more challenging when epilepsy coexists with CP. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a valuable tool for confirming and characterising epileptic activity. This study aimed to compare the clinical and EEG characteristics of children with CP and epilepsy (Group 1) and those with epilepsy without CP (Group 2) in a Nigerian tertiary institution.
Methodology: This prospective, cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted from March 2022 to February 2023. A total of 121 children with epilepsy and CP (Group 1) and 124 with epilepsy only (Group 2), aged 6 months to 15 years, were consecutively recruited. Clinical profiles and EEG findings were compared. Data were analysed with SPSS version 25.0, with p < 0.05 considered significant.
Results: The median age at epilepsy onset was 12 months (IQR: 9.5) in Group 1 and 49 months (IQR: 58.7) in Group 2, showing a significant difference (p < 0.001). Uncontrolled epilepsy was more common in Group 1, occurring in 50 of 72 (69.4%) on antiepileptic drugs, compared to 12 of 69 (17.4%) in Group 2 (p < 0.001). Generalized-onset epilepsy was most frequent in both groups (59.5% vs. 54.8%, p = 0.844). West and Lennox–Gastaut syndromes appeared only in Group 1, while Doose syndrome occurred only in Group 2.
Conclusion: A disparity was observed between clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) classifications, particularly among children with epilepsy and cerebral palsy. EEG evaluation is therefore recommended as an essential component of epilepsy management in this population.
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