[P1-61] The cognitive mechanism of mathematical processing dysfunction in new-onset childhood absence epilepsy
Childhood absence epilepsy an commonly idiopathic form of generalized epilepsy, which affect approximately 8–15% of school children with epilepsy. CAE are clinically characterized with 3-Hz generalized spike and wave discharges in the electroencephalogram (EEG). Recent neuropsychological studies report that children with CAE have cognitive dysfunctions in attention and executive function, which affect their academic achievement and social prognosis. The current study recruited the children with new-onset CAE, investigate what aspect of the academic cognitive disabilities they have, and cognitive mechanism of academic cognitive disabilities. Computerized cognitive test battery was used to assess 35 children with new-onset CAE recruited from Children’s Hospital affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics, 35 control children recruited from primary schools in Beijing matching with the CAE children in age and gender. All participants received 11 cognitive tasks. Independent-samples T test in SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the corrected scores (For the choice reaction time test, the median reaction time was calculated). The results showed that new-onset CAE exhibited cognitive deficits in mathematics, intelligence, attention and executive function. In contrast, there were no significant between-group differences for other cognitive tests. Furthermore, attention deficit measured with visual tracing could only account for the mathematical processing deficit in new-onset CAE group. The results suggest that new-onset CAE group have cognitive deficits in mathematics, attention and executive function, attention impairment other than intelligence and executive function is the fundamental cognitive mechanism underlying the achievement problem in new-onset CAE.