Abstracts

Rationale: Special teachers at SSE have the last ten years found that many children with nocturnal epileptiform activity (NEA) have reduced auditory attention. Earlier studies have concluded with auditory attention difficulties, especially when epileptiform activity is located to the temporal region (Fejerman, -09 and Selassie -10). Special teachers at SSE have tested 10 children as cohort in a proceeding research project at SSE. The children had NEA in more than 30 % of slow wave sleep (4 times what was found om awake registrations). None of the children were mentally retarded. A language assessment with standardizised test battery was made by three hospitalizations with three months intervals. Methods: Ten children were tested at baseline and at two blind trials, Placebo / Levetiracetam (L). Parents were each time interviewed with the same observervation scheme (CELF 4), measuring the ability of listening and speech-making. The children (age 6 10) were assessed with PPVT, CELF 4, (C&FD, SS, EW and RAN, CoPS (Phonological discrimination) and Sentence memory (Language 6 16). We had no control group , but the use of standardized tests gave us the opportunity to compare our findings. Results: The material was small, and there were great variations in the overall functioning. Clear findings were found through observation scemes, filled out by the parents. A majority of the children had difficulties with verbal perception, with keeping two things in mind at the same time and to remember instructions. According to the schemes, the children treated with L., showed a nonsignificant improvement in auditory attention . Spescific problems with auditory attention was confirmed by standardized tests of sentence memory (Language 6 16) and perception of complex information (CELF 4 C&FD). The results of these tests after 3 months with L, showed an improvement. Conclusions: Presented study is a pilot project to a long term research programme at a cohort, selected from hospitalized children. The Criteria are the same, age 6 10, nocturnal epileptiform activity( 4 times more during slow wave sleep), normal mental functions, norwegian as first language and no seizures the last six weeks. Language assessments will correspond the tests used in actual study. Controll group and cohort are allready selected.