1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-10-71-b 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-10-9-12 Mental Retardation Syndromes Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Psychiatric Disorders in Mentally Retarded, Epileptic Children and Adolescents http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 09 1996 01 06 2016 10 9 71 72 Copyright: © 1996 The Author(s) 1996 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with mental retardation and active epilepsy

The prevalence and types of psychiatric disorders in 98 school-age children with mental retardation (MR) and active epilepsy were investigated in the Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Goteborg, Sweden.

 Mental Retardation Psychiatric Disorders Autistic Disorder

The prevalence and types of psychiatric disorders in 98 school-age children with mental retardation (MR) and active epilepsy were investigated in the Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Goteborg, Sweden. At least 1 psychiatric diagnosis was uncovered in 53 (59%) patients, and symptoms could not be classified because of profound MR in 30 (33%). Autistic disorder was diagnosed in 24 (27%), and autistic-like disorder in 10 (11%). ADHD was present in 11, and Angelman syndrome in 4. In those with autism the most common seizures were complex partial, absence, myoclonic, and tonic-clonic. A history of infantile spasms occurred in 12 (13%). Many of the psychiatric disorders had not previously been diagnosed despite parental concern. [1]

COMMENT. Autism or autistic-like disorder are common in children with mental retardation and epilepsy and are frequently undiagnosed. Neurologists and psychiatrists might work in closer collaboration for optimal management of these patients.

Steffenburg S Gillberg C Steffenburg U Psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with mental retardation and active epilepsy Arch Neurol 1996 Sep 53 9 904 12 8815856 10.1001/archneur.1996.00550090114017