Seizure Disorder and Learning problems

[Lynda Henrie]

My son was diagnosed with seizure disorder when he was 3.  He took medication for about three years, then was gradually taken of the medication with no more seizures. He had an follow-up EEG that indicated that he still had the disorder, but appears to have no seizures, therefore he takes no medication.

He is now 11 and has been suffering from encopresis and incontinence for several years.  He also has recurring severe nightmares almost every night.  He has trouble in school and seems to have difficulty concentrating and even though he gets high scores in spelling and is excellent at things like his times tables, he seems to have difficulty concentrating and gets very low test scores (SAT).  Could any or all of these problems be related to his seizure disorder?

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I have spells and learing problems; but they have not all come from the same place. 13 years ago I was haveing a terrable incontanence problem. I neibor ( also an RN ) told me to exersize by pulling upward the inside of my bladder. I have a much better bladder now. I only leek during about 1 spell a month. And sometimes colds will also cause me to leek.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Ms. Henrie,

Since you son's EEG continues to be positive, even in the absence of clinical seizures, there is a possibility some of his problems are related to his neurological status.

It is very unusual for a child of eleven to have nightly nightmares, or nightly sleep terrors or any other form of partial awakening, for that matter. The nighttime experiences quite probably are related to his neurological problem.

Relative to his concentration, has he been evaluated for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and/or non-verbal learning disability? Both of these conditions are found more frequently in those with other neurological problems than they would be found in the general population.