The developmental profiles of children with idiopathic tonic-clonic epilepsy as measured on the Griffths Developmental Scales

Abstract

The effect o f epilepsy on the development of children with well controlled tonic-clonic epilepsy was assessed using the Griffiths Developmental test. Twenty five subjects and twenty five controls matched for age, sex, location and socio-economic status were tested. Their ages ranged from three to six and a half years. The paired t-test and rank-sign test on a personal computer using the SAS system were used for data analysis. A p-value o f 0,05 and less was regarded as significant difference. There were significant differences in the mean quotient scores in all the subscales and general quotient. The epileptic children performed at a significantly lower level than the controls. The motor subscale scores demonstrated locomotor precocity o f both groups with no significant difference between subjects and controls, when the pairs where the subjects had had status epilepticus were excluded from the analysis.