Neuromotor maturation and cognitive performance in children with self-limited focal epilepsies of childhood: A cross-sectional study
EPILEPSY RESEARCH, cilt.226, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 226
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2026.107864
- Dergi Adı: EPILEPSY RESEARCH
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, BIOSIS, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: INPP screening test, Neuromotor maturation, Self-limited Focal Epilepsies of Childhood, SeLFE
- İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: Self-limited focal epilepsies of childhood (SeLFE) are traditionally considered to have a favorable prognosis. However, emerging evidence suggests that some patients may exhibit cognitive and developmental differences, particularly during the active phase of the disease. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate cognitive performance and neuromotor maturation in children with SeLFE and to explore potential associations between these domains. Methods: Thirty children aged 6-12 years diagnosed with SeLFE and 30 healthy controls with comparable age distribution were included. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), and neuromotor maturation was evaluated using the INPP Screening Test as an exploratory assessment tool. Results: The SeLFE group demonstrated significantly lower WISC-R scores compared to controls. Overall INPP Screening Test scores did not differ significantly between groups, with abnormal results observed in 4 participants in each group. Although lower cognitive performance was associated with higher neuromotor dysfunction scores across the whole cohort, this association was inconsistent across subgroup analyses and showed an opposite direction in the control group, indicating that the neuromotor findings were exploratory and nonspecific. Conclusion: The neuromotor findings should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating, pending confirmation in larger studies using validated motor assessment tools. Nevertheless, the present study suggests that neuromotor development may warrant consideration alongside cognitive functioning when evaluating children with SeLFE, supporting a more comprehensive neurodevelopmental perspective.