COGNITIVE EPILEPTIFORM DISINTEGRATION: DEFINITION, DIAGNOSIS, THERAPY

Abstract

Cognitive epileptiform disintegration — symptom complex of acquired disorders of cognitive functions in children, associated with marked epileptiform activity on EEG in the absence of epileptic seizures (isolated epileptic seizures in the medical history are possible). On background of review and discussion of current scientific literature and own data the author represents the fundamental article, devoted to cognitive epileptiform disintegration. The author describes in detail the aspects of definition, aetiology and pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria and differential diagnostics of this disorder, and approaches to the treatment. As the main factors of aetiology and pathogenesis the author describes the role of hereditary impairment of brain maturation and pathologic effects of continuous prolonged epileptiform activity on cognitive functions, as well as morphologic alterations (lesion) of the brain, caused by pathology of prenatal period. The clinical features of cognitive epileptiform disintegration depending on predominance localization of epileptiform activity in different areas of brain cortex are discussed. The especial attention is given to approaches to the treatment of cognitive epileptiform disintegration (approaches to the treatment of seizures and cognitive disorders are discussed separately). Efficacy of valproates, corticosteroid hormones and antiepileptic drugs of other groups is considered and assessed.

Keywords

• cognitive epileptiform disintegration
• aetiology
• pathogenesis
• diagnosis
• treatment