Table 3.
Characteristics of co-occurring epilepsy in children with autism spectrum disorder (N = 34).
| Characteristic | Distribution |
|---|---|
| Age of onset (Years) (Median, IQR) | 2.25 (1.63, 3) |
| Timing relative to autism diagnosis (N, %) | |
| Before autism diagnosis | 18 (52.9) |
| Within the same year | 3 (8.8) |
| After autism diagnosis | 13 (38.2) |
| Type of seizures (N, %) | |
| Generalized tonic-clonic | 33 (97.1) |
| Focal | 1 (2.9) |
| Controlled in the last 6 months (N, %) a | 15 (44.1) |
| Family history of neurological conditions or epilepsy (N, %) | 12 (35.3) |
| History of meningitis or brain infection (N, %) | 5 (14.7) |
| Timing of infection relative to epilepsy onset (N, %) b | |
| Before epilepsy | 4 (80.0) |
| After epilepsy | 1 (20.0) |
| History of head trauma (N, %) | 9 (26.5) |
| Timing of head trauma relative to epilepsy onset (N, %) b | |
| Before epilepsy onset | 1 (11.1) |
| Within the same year | 2 (22.2) |
| After epilepsy onset | 6 (66.7) |
| Obstructed labor (N, %) | 11 (32.4) |
| NICU admission >5 days (N, %) | 11 (32.4) |
| Ventilation requirement during neonatal life (N, %) | 10 (29.4) |
| Usage of anti-epileptic medications (N, %) c | |
| Sodium valproate | 18 (52.9) |
| Levetiracetam | 1 (2.9) |
| Topiramate | 2 (5.9) |
| Oxcarbazepine | 4 (11.8) |
| Diazepam | 2 (5.9) |
| Carbamazepine | 9 (26.5) |
a
Children with controlled epilepsy were defined as those who had no episode of seizure in the last six months.
b
The number of children with a history of infection and head trauma was selected as the denominator for these variables respectively.
c
Categories might not add up to 100% as some children might be on more than one anti-epileptic medication.