Aggression and psychiatric comorbidity in children with hypothalamic hamartomas and their unaffected siblings

Objective: To assess aggression and psychiatric comorbidity in a sample of children with hypothalamic hamartomas and gelastic seizures and to assess p sychiatric diagnoses in siblings of study subjects. Method: Children with a clinical history of gelastic seizures and hypothalamic hamartomas (n = 12; age range 3-14 years) had diagnoses confirmed by video-PEG and head magnet ic resonance imaging. Structured interviews were administered, including th e Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised Parent Form (DI CA-R-P), the Test of Broad Cognitive Abilities, and the Vitiello Aggression Scale. Parents were interviewed with the DICA-R-P about each subject and a sibling closest in age without seizures and hypothalamic hamartomas. Patie nts were seen from 1998 to 2000. Results: Children with gelastic seizures a nd hypothalamic hamartomas displayed a statistically significant increase i n comorbid psychiatric conditions, including oppositional defiant disorder (83.3%) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (75%). They also exhib ited high rates of conduct disorder (33.3%), speech retardation/learning im pairment (33.3%), and anxiety and mood disorders (16.7%). Significant rates of aggression were noted. with 58% of the seizure patients meeting criteri a for the affective subtype of aggression and 30.5% having the predatory ag gression subtype. Affective aggression was significantly more common (p <.0 5). Unaffected siblings demonstrated low rates of psychiatric pathology on semistructured parental interview and no aggression as measured by the Viti ello Aggression Scale. Conclusions: Children with hypothalamic hamartomas a nd gelastic seizures had high rates of psychiatric comorbidity and aggressi on. Parents reported that healthy siblings had very low rates of psychiatri c pathology and aggression.