Correlates of Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures with Intellectual, Neuropsychological, Emotional, and Social Function in Patients with Epilepsy

Relationships between generalized tonic-clonic seizures and indicators of psychological functioning were evaluated in 94 adults with epilepsy who had exceptionally clear seizure histories. Patients were divided according to lifetime numbers of attacks and the presence or absence of a history of major motor status epilepticus. History of status epilepticus or history of more than 100 individual convulsions was associated with decreased functioning in all areas. Abilities were poorest for the group with a history of status, whereas emotional and psychosocial adjustment were worst in persons having large numbers of single convulsions. Possible reasons for the decreased test scores other than seizures were explored in great detail, but none could account for the differences in performance across the groups.