Study Of The Attention Networks In Patients With Epilepsy

objective: The cognitive function of Epilepsy had damaged, containing language, alerting, memory, attention, speed of treatment information and so on.Our experiment make use of ANT(Attention Networks Test, ANT) in epilepsy with age-specific to invent whether the function of orienting, alerting and executive control is impaired and the degree of each damage .Then, discuss the factors influenced the function. This experiment is designed to further probe the cognitive function ,meanwhile provide a theoretical basis for clinical diagnosis, treatment and prevention Methods: Select our hospital inpatient and outpatient with 12-20 years of age who diagnosed with generalized tonic-clonic seizures epilepsy (n = 73), male = 44, female = 29, use the questionnaire in the form of detailed records of the patients'name, sex, age, occupation , the age of onset of epilepsy, the type of seizure, attack frequency, course of epileptic, as well as the type of medication, dose, taking time to age and level of education ;according the above content to divided and for statistical analysis. Selected the normal (n = 45) to control. Make every subject clear and cooperate fully with this test .Applying video-EEG, CT or MRI head check and MMSE screening to choose the suitable patients.Do ANT on computer, collect the date of reaction time and the number of right, Calculated for each patient's reaction time of orienting, alerting, excutive control network, the average response time and accuracy with Microsoft office excel 2003, stored in a computer hard disk, then analysis the dates through SPSS 13.0. Results: (1)the conflict( executive control) effect and orienting effect in GTCS group is lower than the control group ,showing a significant deficit in the executive control function and orienting function in GTCS(P<0.05),but there was no statistical difference in the alerting effect( P>0.05). (2) the effect of three attention network with different level of education in both GTCS groups and normal groups do not have any difference.(3) the conflict( executive control) effect and orienting effect in AEDs group is lower than the control group ( P<0.05).It means AEDs maybe effect the function of executive control and orienting function of patients with GTCS.(4)the orienting effect in course >24months group is lower than in≦24months group ,showing the function of orienting is damaged by course. (5) the conflict effect and orienting effect in unusual EEG(SED) group is lower than the control group,but the alerting effect is not damaged.(6) Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that: the factors from strong to weak for executive control network effect are abnormal EEG(standardized coefficientsβ=0.43,P=0.01)>Medicine time (standar- dized coefficientsβ=0.34,P=0.01); the factors from strong to weak for orienting network effect are abnormal EEG(standardized coeffi- cientsβ=-0.376,P=0.026) >course(standardized coefficientsβ=-0.249, P= 0.028); the factors from strong to weak for the response time are abnormal EEG(standardized coefficientsβ=0.48,P=0.02)>medicine time (standar- dized coefficientsβ=0.40, P=0.03) ;(4) All Factors do not become alerting network effect and accuracy factors were statistically significant. Conclusion:1. The attention network function of GTCS is already damaged without any clinical dementia symptoms,especially in executive control and orienting function,but alerting function is regular. 2.This experiment have show the subclicinal epileptiform discharge, medicine time and the course can damage the function of patients with attention . the factors from strong to weak for executive control function are subclicinal epileptiform discharge and medicine time, the factors of orienting functions from strong to weak are course , subclicinal epileptiform dischargek.3 ANT is a new simple method for detecting the attention function.from it we could know the degree of damage in executive control,orienting and alerting.With ERP and fMRI ,ANT should be widely used in rsearch of cognitive function in central nervous system disease and mental illness.