OBJECTIVETo estimate the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with epilepsy, and the factors that may contribute to the prevalence of co-morbidity between ADHD and epilepsy.

METHODSA total of 256 children aged 6-15 years old who were diagnosed with epilepsy were enrolled. The prevalence of ADHD in children with epilepsy, and the factors that may contribute to the development of co-morbidity between ADHD and epilepsy were explored.

RESULTSThe systematic evaluation in 192 patients was completed. Of the 192 children, 81 (42.2%) were diagnosed with ADHD. The earlier the epilepsy onset, the higher the frequency of the co-morbidity of ADHD occurring. The longer the period of antiepileptic medication, the higher the prevalence of the co-morbidity of ADHD. Epileptic children receiving a combination of antiepileptic drugs had a higher prevalence of ADHD. ADHD was more common in children with some specific types of epilepsy, such as Lannox-Gastaut syndrome and generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy, or epilepsy with multifocal epileptic discharges in the EEG record.

CONCLUSIONSADHD occurs frequently in children with epilepsy. The factors associated with increased risk of ADHD include the onset age of epilepsy, the types of seizures or epileptic syndromes, the epileptiform EEG discharges, and the effects of antiepileptic drugs.