Risk Factors of Intractable Epilepsy in Children with Cerebral Palsy.: Risk factors and intractable epilepsy.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the risk factors predicting the development of intractable epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy taking into consideration perinatal characteristics; seizure semiology, imaging, and EEG findings. Materials & Methods: This descriptive, retrospective, case-control study was conducted on 106 children with CP and epilepsy in the period from 2015-2020. They were 46 children with CP and intractable epilepsy and 60 children with CP and controlled epilepsy. Data were retrieved through medical files review. We collected and analyzed data related to demographics, clinical characteristics, perinatal history, etiology of seizure and CP, seizure semiology, intellectual functions, therapeutic options, brain imaging, and EEG findings. Results: We established a model of the most important risk factors that are predictive of intractable epilepsy in children with CP. This predictive model includes the additive effect of a poor Apgar score at 5 minutes, the presence of neonatal seizures, focal epilepsy, and focal slowing on the EEG background (Area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.810).   conclusion: Our results are helpful to identify intractable epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy with further support by offering early therapeutic interventions to reduce the burden of refractory seizures in children with CP