Objective: Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement and posture due to the damage or disruption of the growing or immature motoric cells in central nervous systems. It is characterized by various neurological abnormalities, one of them is epilepsy. Epilepsy is difficult to control, as it is able to aggravate motor disorders and disrupt cognitive function, ultimately worsening the long term outcome. This research aims to determine the characteristics of epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy.
Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Sample was taken from medical records based on data of Pediatric Outpatient and the Medical Rehabilitation Installation Sanglah General Hospital from January 2016 until June 2018. The minimum samples required was 68 subjects.
Result: Eighty-four samples were included. The mean age was 64 months with onset of epilepsy was 21 months. Male affected more than female (53.6%). Most of them with undernutrition (44%). Based on birth history, 66.7% of them was born by spontaneous delivery, 34.5% with asphyxia history and 82.1% with history of normal birth weight. The most common types of epilepsy were generalized type (81%). Most types of cerebral palsy were spastic type as many as 94%. History of seizures at <1 year of age was 63.1%. History of central nervous system infection was 15.5%. The most brain abnormalities was microcephaly (34.5%). Abnormal EEG results were about 91.7%, with family history of seizures was 1.2%. Frequency of polytherapy with anti-epileptic drugs was 69%.
Conclusion: Most types of epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy were generalized epilepsy with spastic type cerebral palsy. Most of them have abnormal EEG results and were treated with polytherapy of anti-epileptic drugs.