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Characteristics of epilepsy in severely mentally retarded individuals
Author(s) -
Amano Kouichiro,
Takamatsu Junichi,
Ogata Akira,
Miyazaki Chihiro,
Kaneyama Hisakazu,
Katsuragi Shouichi,
Deshimaru Motonori,
Sumiyoshi Shiro,
Miyakawa Taihei
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1819.2000.00630.x
Subject(s) - epilepsy , mentally retarded , psychology , psychiatry , developmental psychology
In order to clarify the characteristics of epilepsy in patients with severe mentally retarded (SMR) subjects, we analyzed 52 SMR subjects with epilepsy from the institute for SMR subjects at Kikuchi National Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan. A total of 61.5% patients had uncontrolled seizures which were resistant to treatment. The most common combinations of seizure types in those not responding to conventional anticonvulsants were generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCS) with tonic seizure and GTCS with atypical absence. Their clinical features were characterized by spastic paralysis associated with a slower background electroencephalogram and abnormal computed tomography scans of the head, suggesting the involvement of cortical damage. These findings suggest that a large proportion of epilepsy in SMR subjects does not respond to treatment and that the severity of organic brain damage may therefore affect the natural course of epilepsy in such patients.