PSYCHIATRIC AND BEHAVIOR DISORDERS IN CHILDREN WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION AND SEIZURE DISORDER

The primary aim of this investigation was to compare the types of psychiatric and behavioral disturbance present in a sample of children with mental retardation with and without a seizure disorder. This retrospective study involved the chart review of the past 42 patients with a diagnosis of a seizure disorder admitted to a specialized psychiatric inpatient unit for children with developmental disorders and psychiatric and behavioral disorders. The control group consisted of the last 42 consecutive admissions without a seizure disorder but were matched with the experimental group on age, level of mental retardation, and gender. Children with a seizure disorder were more often diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Organic Brain Syndrome, Not Otherwise Specified. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences in the reported behavioral disturbances in children with and without a seizure disorder: Psychopharmacological treatments for the two groups were also similar. There were few differences in this sample of psychiatric inpatients with and without a seizure disorder.