Children with focal epilepsy generally achieve stabilization of intellectual and developmental function at long-term follow-up after epilepsy surgery, according to findings published in Epilepsia. Georgia Ramantani, MD, PhD, and colleagues performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported intellectual and developmental outcomes among children after epilepsy surgery. In 15 studies that examined 341 patients, the weighted mean age at surgery was 7.1, and the weighted mean postsurgical follow-up duration was 5.6 years. Researchers estimated mean presurgical intelligence or developmental quotients (IQ/DQ) of 60 (95% CI, 47-73), and they found the postsurgical IQ/DQ was 61 (95% CI, 48-73), for a change of +0.94 in the IQ/DQ (95% CI, –1.70 to 3.58). Children with an IQ/DQ of 70 or greater before surgery tended to have higher gains compared with those with a presurgical IQ/DQ of less than 70.
