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Neuropediatrics 2023; 54(03): 182-187
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1764215
Original Article

Family Burden and Epilepsy Surgery in Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Sebastian Hoyer 
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2   Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
,
Konstantin L. Makridis
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2   Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
3   Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
,
Deniz A. Atalay
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2   Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
,
Ulrich-W Thomale
5   Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
,
Christine Prager
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2   Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
,
Christian E. Elger
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2   Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
4   Beta Neurologie - Kompetenzzentrum für Epilepsie, Beta Klinik GmbH, Bonn, Germany
,
Angela M. Kaindl
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2   Center for Chronically Sick Children, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
3   Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Berlin, Germany
› Author Affiliations Funding The study was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG, SFB1315, FOR3004) and the Einstein Stiftung Fellowship through the Günter Endres Fond and the Sonnenfeld-Stiftung.
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Abstract

Introduction Family burden (FB) in pediatric patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is significantly higher than that in children with non-DRE. Epilepsy surgery is an established approach to treat DRE, and this study examines the impact of pediatric epilepsy surgery on FB.

Methods We retrospectively analyzed data of families and pediatric patients with focal structural DRE treated with epilepsy surgery at our epilepsy center from April 2018 to November 2021. We examined the relationship between cognitive, behavioral, and epilepsy-specific data and the FB measured with the German version of the Impact on Family Scale before and after epilepsy surgery.

Results The study cohort included 31 children with DRE at a mean age of 9 years at surgery (range = 0–16) and a mean epilepsy duration of 3 years (range = 0–14). Cognitive impairment correlated with FB in children with DRE prior to surgery. At the last assessment, 14.5 months (mean, range = 6–24) after epilepsy surgery, 87.2% of patients were seizure-free, FB values had decreased by 75.0%, and behavioral problems had decreased by 85,7%. Cognitive functions remained stable following epilepsy surgery.

Conclusion In children with DRE, epilepsy surgery reduces FB. Given the considerable impact of families on the development and wellbeing of their children, the impact of epilepsy surgery should be communicated to affected families.

Keywords

family burden - epilepsy surgery - pediatrics - drug-resistant epilepsy

Ethical Statement

The study was reviewed by the local ethics committee (approval no EA2/084/18).


Supplementary Material



Publication History

Received: 07 February 2022

Accepted: 23 January 2023

Article published online:
15 March 2023

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