Seizures are associated with cognitive disengagement syndrome, incoordination, and low IQ in child ADHD and autism samples

Abstract

This is the first study comparing children with and without seizures in a large clinical sample and examining differences in diagnoses, IQ, neuropsychological and achievement test scores, and psychological problems. Mothers rated 2,212 children (4-17 years) with autism and/or ADHD on the Pediatric Behavior Scale. A subgroup 6 to 16 years had neuropsychological and academic achievement test data (n = 820). In the autism/ADHD sample, 2.8% had mother-reported seizures with falling and loss of consciousness, whereas only 0.8% of the population-based contrast sample did. Differences between children with autism, ADHD-Combined, and ADHD-Inattentive were nonsignificant. Seizures were strongly associated with lower IQ, cognitive disengagement syndrome/CDS, and incoordination. Controlling for IQ, the remaining variables were nonsignificant, including working memory, processing speed, verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, graphomotor, attention, reading and math scores and maternal ratings of attention deficit, hyperactivity/impulsivity, autism, irritability/tantrums, oppositional behavior, conduct problems, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and social impairment. Findings have implications for understanding associations between seizures and psychological functioning, future studies (e.g., the importance of controlling for IQ), and clinical practice (e.g., assessing for CDS, motor incoordination, and low IQ in children with seizures and providing targeted intervention if these problems are present).