Background: Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a chronic motor disorder that results from a permanent injury to the developing brain. Co-morbidity of CP and epilepsy could be devastating to a child if not identified early and managed appropriately.
Aim: To describe the pattern and predictors of epilepsy among children with CP in Jos, Nigeria.
Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in the pediatric neurology clinic of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria. Structured questionnaires and hospital records were used to document all relevant information of children with CP from January 2015 to December 2016.
Results: A total of 162 subjects with CP were studied, epilepsy was seen in 75 (46.3%) of the subjects. The mean age at the onset of seizure was 1.52±0.43 years. Among those with epilepsy, 52 (69.3%) had their first seizure before 1 year of age while 26 (34.7%) had a history of neonatal seizures. The commonest type of epileptic seizure seen was generalized tonic-clonic seizures in 33 (44.0%) subjects, followed by focal seizures 30 (40.0%), myoclonic seizures 5 (6.7%) and epileptic spasms 3 (4.0%). Focal seizures were predominantly seen in spastic hemiplegic CP while generalized seizures predominated in other types of CP. Independent predictors of epilepsy were seizure in the first year of life, neonatal seizure and spastic CP (adjusted odds ratio 4.97, 2.45 and 8.85 respectively).
Conclusion: Co-morbidity with epilepsy is common among children with CP. Children with CP should be properly evaluated for epilepsy and appropriate treatment commenced if indicated.