Influence of executive functions on quality of life in Pediatric Epilepsy: A cross-sectional study

Mühe, Lena; Kaufmann, Elisabeth ; Landgraf, Mirjam N. ; Tacke, Moritz; Makowski, Christine; Zaddach, Malin ; Grosse, Leonie; Gerstner, Miriam; Optiz, Robert und Borggraefe, Ingo (2025): Influence of executive functions on quality of life in Pediatric Epilepsy: A cross-sectional study. In: Epilepsy Research, Bd. 218, 107646

Abstract

Background

The EpiTrack Junior is a screening tool assessing executive function in children with epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate whether children and adolescents with epilepsy are at a higher risk of experiencing a reduced quality of life if they also reveal abnormal results reflecting executive dysfunction.

Methods

We screened patients for executive dysfunction using the clinical test tool EpiTrack Junior. To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the German children’s and parents’ version of KINDL questionnaire was used. The KINDL scores (total score and dimensions scores) of patients with and without clinically conspicuous values were compared (≤ 28 and > 29, respectively). In addition, the exact EpiTrack Junior point scores were correlated with the KINDL total score and the scores of all KINDL dimensions.

Results

In this study 112 (mean age = 11.72, SD = 3.6) patients with epilepsy and their parents were included. Patients with executive dysfunctions (EpiTrack Junior values ≤ 28) scored significantly poorer in the QoL categories ‘family’ and ‘social environment’ than patients without. In the ‘family’ dimension, the child-report revealed the following data: z = -2.759; adjusted p-value: 0.042, and in the ‘friends’ dimension, parent-reports yielded the following data: z = -3.645; adjusted p-value: 0.007. In contrast, the 'self-esteem' dimension in the children's version showed significantly higher values in patients with executive dysfunctions than for those without: z = -2.524; adjusted p-value: 0.042. No significant differences between patients with and without executive dysfunctions were found for the overall quality of life (as assessed by the KINDL 'total score') as well as for the other dimensions (school, physical and emotional well-being).

Conclusions

No differences were found in the overall quality of life between patients with and without executive dysfunction. Nevertheless, executive dysfunction appeared to have a negative impact on some areas of life, such as family and friends, and was a predictor of increased self-esteem.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Medizin > Klinikum der LMU München > Kinderklinik und Kinderpoliklinik im Dr. von Haunerschen Kinderspital ; Medizin > Klinikum der LMU München > Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik mit Friedrich-Baur-Institut
• Themengebiete: 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
• ISSN: 09201211
• Sprache: Englisch