Impact of Interictal Epileptiform Activity on Some Cognitive Domains in Newly Diagnosed Epileptic Patients

Epilepsy is a common health problem worldwide. In general population, studies in developed countries estimated the annual incidence of epilepsy to be~50 per 100,000 and prevalence to be ~8.2 per 1,000. These figures are higher in developing countries in which prevalence of >10 per 1,000 was reported. In Upper Egypt, Assiut Governorate, the prevalence rate was 12.9 per 1,000.

In people with epilepsy there is an associated high rate of cognitive difficulties that compromise educational progress and achievement throughout life. Approximately 1-5% of the population exhibits epileptiform discharges on electroencephalography (EEG). Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), meaning spikes, polyspikes, sharp waves, or spike and slow-wave complexes without observed clinical seizures, are commonly observed in patients with epilepsy.

Epilepsy syndromes manifesting with IEDs are detrimental to cognitive function. Recently, two studies found that frequent IEDs can impair cognitive performance in children. and adult patients. Several studies indicated that IEDs in patients with epilepsy had a disruptive effect on information processing speed with even a low percentage of IEDs (1%).However, it is unclear whether IEDs are associated with disrupted academic performance in patients with idiopathic epilepsy, and the relationship between general cognitive ability and academic performance in those patients has not been clarified.

Understanding how IEDs interfere with neurocognitive outcomes is important ,while the goal of medical and surgical treatments for epilepsy is to achieve seizure-freedom with minimal morbidity, the benefits of IED suppression are more controversial.