Quality of life in patients with benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes

Quality of life (QL) in patients with benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS) is still controversial. Learning disabilities and atypical BECTS could play a significant role in determining unfavourable outcome related to well-being status in these patients. From a cohort of 45 patients with BECTS, diagnosed between 1992 and 2006, we studied long-term outcome (6.8-23.1 years; mean 13.2 years) and QL in 18 patients (4 females, 14 males; mean age 20.1 years) by i) 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) for physical and mental health and ii) semi-structured interview for QL developed using the categories of psychosocial outcomes identified from Wirrell et al. and integrated with well-being indicators (BES) elaborated by the Italian institute of statistics (ISTAT). Interview scores were studied according to the main clinical and Electroencephalogram (EEG) variables obtained by non-parametric tests. Seizure remission was confirmed in all patients. SF-36 scores, adjusted for age and sex, were within the average of the Italian population throughout the sample for the physical component, the physical functioning and the role limitations due to physical health (RP), and in most of the patients for mental component (78%) and other scales: bodily pain (72%), vitality (83%), role limitations due to emotional problems (83%), mental health (89%), general health (94%), social functioning (94%). Lower scores for physical component summary were found in patients with atypical BECTS (p = 0.004) and in patients with generalized epileptic EEG abnormalities (p = 0.04); the latter moreover showed lower scores according to general health (p = 0.009) and vitality (p = 0.009). No differences were found according to the other epilepsy variables, learning disabilities, and socioeconomic status of parents. Poor involvement in cultural activities and signs of school maladjustment (grades repeated and suspended from school) were more common in patients with language disorders and learning disabilities and requiring special educational need and/or rehabilitation therapy. In conclusion, whereas mean values of QL scores in most of our patients overlap with those of general population, poorer rates occur in patients with atypical BECTS, generalized epileptic EEG abnormalities, language disorders and learning disabilities.