Cognitive functions and epilepsy-related characteristics in patients with generalized tonic–clonic epilepsy: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy is a brain disorder affecting nearly 65 million people worldwide. It is characterized by sudden, transient, and uncontrolled episodes of brain dysfunction secondary to hypersynchronous abnormal discharge of cortical neuronal cells resulting in motor, sensory, and behavioral manifestations. Cognitive deterioration can occur in approximately 70–80% of epileptic patients with a variety of epilepsy-related characteristics being implicated. This study aimed to assess cognitive functions in a sample of patients with generalized tonic–clonic epilepsy and determine its relation to different epilepsy-related characteristics. It was designed as a case–control cross-sectional study in which 106 participants were enrolled and divided into two groups: a case group of fifty-three patients diagnosed with generalized tonic–clonic epilepsy and a control group including fifty-three healthy subjects. Sociodemographic and epilepsy-related characteristics and a variety of cognitive functions were assessed for both groups. Results: Epileptic patients were significantly suffering from impairment in attention, memory, visuospatial (P = 0.001), and language functions (P = 0.018) compared to the healthy control group. Conclusions: Epileptic patients are significantly suffering from cognitive impairment with a variety of contributing epilepsy-related characteristics.