Did you know that approximately 50% of persons with epilepsy also have ADD, ADHD or another learning disorder? Neurologists have determined that when a person with epilepsy they have electrical discharges which cause the seizure activity disrupts the connections between nerve cells. This disruption causes abnormal brain activity.
Even when a person’s seizures are well controlled the disorder can cause learning and developmental issues. The severities of the impairments vary depending on how much of the brain is affected by the abnormal brain activity. Abnormal brain activity can cause cognitive impairments, executive function impairments and motor skill impairments.
When a person has cognitive impairments they may have issues with memory, language and attention. Depending on the severity of the cognitive impairments the signs may go unnoticed; the severity can range from mild to severe dysfunction.
When the seizure activity causes ADD or ADHD it affects the child’s success with learning. Sitting still and paying attention are just two parts of attention being affected; also the ability to analyze, organize and determine what is relevant or not in a problem is also impaired. Also a person’s anti-seizure medication can cause problems with attention and hyperactivity as well.
A diagnosis of epilepsy increases the likelihood that the person will have some form of language and speech problems. The extent that the speech and language skills are impaired depends on how much of the brain and what areas of the brain are affected. If the activity is in the temporal and frontal lobes on the left they will most likely have some impairments.
When a person’s memory is affected it is often the area of memory called working memory. This is the ability to access the knowledge and apply it to a situation. This also inhibits the persons to read into things, and understand inference.
When a person has executive function impairments it affects the ability to solve problems, regulate one’s self, be flexible with thinking and schedules. Executive function allows a person to create a plan based on past experience’s, instead of acting on impulse and emotion. It helps a person to read social cues, and causes difficulties in using other intellectual skills effectively.