Neuropediatrics 2016; 47 - P01-09
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1583618

Cognitive Development in Children with Rolandic EEG Pattern: First Results of a Prospective Follow-Up Study

H. Neumann 1, F. Helmke 1, Ch. Thiels 1, C. Köhler 1, L. Selzer 3, M. Daseking 2, F. Petermann 2, T. Lücke 1
  • 1Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Abteilung für Neuropädiatrie, Germany
  • 2Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation der Universität Bremen, Germany
  • 3Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie Marl-Sinsen, Germany

Objective: Although intellectual function is typically normal in patients with rolandic EEG pattern, problems are found in specific cognitive domains. Until now mainly retrospective studies have been conducted concerning cognitive development of school-age children. In 2013 we initiated a prospective follow-up study adding pre-school children.

Method: T1: Immediately after diagnosis, 20 patients (16 males, 4 females, 4–10 years of age) were examined to identify any significant cognitive deficits. T2: 9 to 12 months later, nine patients (receiving different therapies) were reexamined.

Results: Preliminary results of the ongoing study:

T1: Intelligence—WISC-IV (children > 6 years; n = 16) (mean, SD); full-scale IQ: 89.9 (11.0); index values: verbal comprehension: 88.8 (10.4); perceptual reasoning: 94.4 (12.7); working memory: 87.6 (15.9); processing speed: 98.7 (12.4).

WPPSI-III (children < 6 years; n = 4); full-scale IQ: 90.5 (17.0); verbal IQ: 91.5 (34.9); performance IQ: 94.3 (5.1).

Visual perception (FEW-2/-JE: quotients; n = 20); general visual perception: 90.5 (12.1); motor reduced visual perception: 90.7 (15.6); visual motor integration: 93.7 (10.2).

Language: SETK 3–5/SET 5–10: below average performance (< 10th percentile) in 14 of 20 patients.

Attention: TAP-/BASIC-Preschool-subtests: below average performance in all patients (TAP: < 25th percentile/BASIC-preschool: > cut-off value).

T2: No significant differences were found in comparison to T1 results.

Conclusion: Cognitive testing revealed attention and language deficits and low normal intellectual performance in children with rolandic EEG pattern. Children < 6 years of age show particular variability in verbal-intellectual performance. Nine to 12 months after first examination until now no changes in the children’s cognitive profiles are detectable.

Keywords: rolandic EEG pattern, rolandic epilepsy, benign rolandic epilepsy, cognitive development, cognitive deficits