Intelligence two years after epilepsy surgery in children

Intelligence before and two years after epilepsy surgery was assessed in 94 children and adolescents and related to preoperative IQ and seizure outcome. The median full-scale IQ was 70 before and two years after surgery. The proportion with a higher or unchanged postoperative IQ was 24 of 49 (49%) of those with an IQ of 70 and more before surgery, nine of 17 (53%) of those with an IQ of 50-69, and ten of 28 (36%) of those with an IQ of less than 50. A significant difference was found between the 47 individuals who became seizure-free and the 47 with persisting seizures, as 60% of the seizure-free children had a higher or unchanged IQ compared with 32% of the 47 who were not seizure-free. The cognitive outcome of children with intellectual disabilities was as good as that of children with average IQ. Thus, they should not be excluded from epilepsy surgery on the basis of low intellectual level.