Question
My daughter is seven years old and has been diagnosed with benign epilepsy. Does epilepsy affect a child’s intelligence?
Answer
Generally, 70% of children with epilepsy can be controlled through medication. For these patients, if medication is used promptly and the frequency of seizures is low, it usually does not significantly interfere with their higher-level cognitive functions. Only in cases of refractory epilepsy, where seizures occur frequently and medication is not effective, may there be some interference with intelligence. In summary, the damage to the brain from each seizure is relatively more severe compared to the side effects of medication. Past literature reports indicate that each generalized convulsive seizure can lead to significant damage to a large number of brain cells.