ASSESSMENT OF SERUM VITAMIN B12 IN CHILDREN WITH IDIOPATHIC INTRACTABLE EPILEPSY: RELATION TO SEIZURE CONTROL AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS

Abstract

Vitamin B12 is one of the most important vitamins that is needed for normal healthy life, ithas a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Vitamin B12 is found in most animal-derived foods, including fish, meat (especially liver), poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products. Some drugs can affect blood level of this vitamin as antiepileptic drugs. These antiepileptic drugs have been associated with reduced vitamin B12 absorption and reduced serumlevel. It is also reported that reduced vitamin B12 levels may contribute to the neuropsychiatric side effects of these drugs. Our case-control study conducted to investigate serum level of vitamin B12 and its relation with cognitive functionin 25idiopathic epileptic children and compared with 25 normal healthy children. Our study found that there is no statistically significant difference between epileptic patients and control regardinganthropometric measurements. There was a highly statistical significant difference between epileptic children and controls regarding serum vitamin B12 level; all patients showed lower serum vitamin B12 levels than controls. Further, serum level of vitamin B12 was lower in patients with polytherapy of AEDs than those on monotherapy, also our study showed negative significantcorrelationbetween numbers of antiepileptic drugs and serum vitamin B12 in the studied patients. A significantPositive correlation was found between serum level of vitamin B12 and cognitive function in the studied patients There was no correlation between serum vitamin B12 in epileptic children and duration of disease or severity of seizures. Also our result showed low IQ tests scores (WICS&Benton) in the epileptic children compared to control group. Moreover, a negativesignificant correlation between numbers of antiepileptic drugs and cognitive functions in the studied patients was found.

CONCLUSION