Sleep-Related Epileptiform Activity and Cognitive Vulnerability in Children With Newly Diagnosed Epilepsy

Cognitive difficulties may emerge early in childhood epilepsy and are not necessarily restricted to patients with a long disease duration or prolonged exposure to antiseizure medications. Particular attention has recently been directed toward interictal epileptiform activity during sleep, when physiological changes in neuronal synchronization may facilitate epileptiform discharges. Since sleep plays an essential role in memory consolidation, learning, and neuroplasticity, increased sleep-related epileptiform activity may interfere with cognitive processing during critical periods of brain development. Assessment of this relationship at the onset of epilepsy may therefore provide clinically relevant information on early cognitive vulnerability.