Why the study?
QT interval corrected dispersion reflects ventricular repolarization heterogeneity and arrhythmic risk, but differences between children with epilepsy and healthy controls regarding age and antiepileptic drug use required evaluation.
Does pediatric epilepsy or antiepileptic drug use alter QT interval corrected dispersion (QTcd) compared to healthy age- and sex-matched controls?
Does pediatric epilepsy or antiepileptic drug use alter QT interval corrected dispersion (QTcd) compared to healthy age- and sex-matched controls?
Although overall QTc dispersion did not differ between children with epilepsy and healthy controls, children with epilepsy under 5 years of age and those not receiving antiepileptic medication exhibited significantly higher QTc dispersion, suggesting a potential need for targeted cardiac evaluation in these subgroups.
QTcd elevation may flag arrhythmic risk in pediatric epilepsy; hypothesis-generating, prospective validation required before practice change.
INTRODUCTION: QT interval corrected dispersion (QTcd) reflects the heterogeneity of ventricular repolarization and has been proposed as a marker for arrhythmic risk in various neurologic and cardiac conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate QTcd differences between children with epilepsy and healthy controls, with attention to age and antiepileptic drug use. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted on 50 children with epilepsy and 50 age- and sex-matched control children admitted to Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan in 2019. QTcd was manually measured from 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: No overall significant difference was observed in QTcd between groups (p > 0.05). However, children with epilepsy under 5 years of age had significantly higher QTcd than controls of the same age (p = 0.014). Moreover, QTcd was significantly lower in children with epilepsy receiving medication compared with those not on treatment (p = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Although overall QTcd did not differ significantly between epileptic and control children, age under five and antiepileptic drug use significantly influenced QTcd. These findings suggest the importance of cardiac evaluation and early treatment in younger patients with epilepsy.
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Talebian et al. (2025) studied this question.
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