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Not EEG abnormalities but epilepsy is associated with autistic regression and mental functioning in childhood autism

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Abstract.

The aim of the study was to investigate the potential association of epilepsy and EEG abnormalities with autistic regression and mental retardation. We examined a group of 77 autistic children (61 boys, 16 girls) with an average age of 9.1 ± 5.3 years. Clinical interview, neurological examination focused on the evaluation of epilepsy, IQ testing, and 21-channel EEG (including night sleep EEG recording) were performed. Normal EEGs were observed in 44.4% of the patients, non-epileptiform abnormal EEGs in 17.5%, and abnormal EEGs with epileptiform discharges in 38.1% of the patients. Epilepsy was found in 22.1% of the subjects. A history of regression was reported in 25.8% of the patients, 54.8% of the sample had abnormal development during the first year of life, and 79.7% of the patients were mentally retarded. Autistic regression was significantly more frequent in patients with epilepsy than in non-epileptic patients (p = 0.003). Abnormal development during the first year of life was significantly associated with epileptiform EEG abnormalities (p = 0.014). Epilepsy correlated significantly with mental retardation (p = 0.001). Although the biological basis and possible causal relationships of these associations remain to be explained, they may point to different subgroups of patients with autistic spectrum disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic

    Michal Hrdlicka, Lukas Propper & Robert Kulisek

  2. Department of Child Neurology, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic

    Vladimir Komarek, Alena Zumrova & Ludvika Faladova

  3. Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic

    Marketa Havlovicova & Zdenek Sedlacek

  4. Institute of Psychology, Academy of Sciences, Veveri 97, 60200, Brno, Czech Republic

    Marek Blatny & Tomas Urbanek

Authors
  1. Michal Hrdlicka
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  2. Vladimir Komarek
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  3. Lukas Propper
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  4. Robert Kulisek
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  5. Alena Zumrova
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  6. Ludvika Faladova
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  7. Marketa Havlovicova
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  8. Zdenek Sedlacek
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  9. Marek Blatny
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  10. Tomas Urbanek
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Hrdlicka, M., Komarek, V., Propper, L. et al. Not EEG abnormalities but epilepsy is associated with autistic regression and mental functioning in childhood autism. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 13, 209–213 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-004-0353-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-004-0353-7

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