Epilessia, punte-onda continue nel sonno (POCS) ed apprendimento

Cognitive dysfunctions that can lead to a learning disorder are commonly reported in children with epilepsy. Several and heterogeneous pathogenetic factors, including continuous spike-waves during sleep (CSWS), are involved in these dysfunctions. The goal of this study was to verify if any cognitive and learning ability differences are present between patients affected by learning disorders with and without epilepsy and CSWS. We have selected 39 patients affected by a learning disorder with normal intelligence. They were divided into 3 groups, respectively with only learning disorder, idiopathic epilepsy, and CSWS. We have compared the cognitive profiles and the learning abilities of the 3 groups. No significant differences have been found regarding cognitive profiles, except for the prevalence of left-handedness in the CSWS group. The CSWS group was less impaired in the writing. A correlation between prevailing EEG focus and cognitive profile has been found in 68,4%. Learning disorders seem to be the common end result of a variety of clinical and EEG conditions.