EFFECT OF CHRONIC ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG-THERAPY ON CALIFORNIA ACHIEVEMENT-TEST SCORES

We retrospectively studied the effect of antiepileptic drug (AED) ther apy on academic achievement of children with epilepsy from child neuro logy clinics at two medical centers. Fifty-four school-age children in regular classroom placements who had been on treatment for at least 6 months and had California Achievement Test (CAT) scores available on and off or before and after therapy were studied. Neither AED therapy in general nor barbiturate use in particular had a significant effect on CAT performance after up to 6 years of treatment. The average total percentile score for the cohort was at the national mean (51.8). Chil dren who are in a regular classroom placement, have well controlled se izures, and are free from overt medication toxicity can be expected to have normal academic achievement, as measured by the CAT, which shoul d not decline during AED treatment. (C) 1998 by EIsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.