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This study was conducted to develop a measurement tool to achieve ketogenic diet management in parents of children with epilepsy and examine its Turkish psychometric properties. The study was conducted on 317 parents using a descriptive correlational method. Data analysis and evaluation were performed using factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and item – total score correlation. The scale consists of 20 items and unidimensional factor. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, the total explained variance of the unidimensional factor was 63.809%. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.971. The four-weeks test-retest reliability evaluated with intra-class correlation was 0.87. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated, the model fit index results were recorded as follows: 0.95 as the Goodness-of-Fit Index; comparative fit index, 0.96 and normed fit index, 0.94. The study determined that the Ketogenic Diet Management Scale for Children with Epilepsy-Parent Form is a measurement tool that can be used by health professionals and that is used to evaluate parents' ketogenic diet knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We aimed to evaluate the clinical findings and electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics of patients with juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE) and to determine the factors that predict response to antiseizure medications (ASMs) in JAE. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 29 patients with JAE. The patients who were seizure-free during the last 12 months of their follow-up and who did not have generalized spike waves on their last EEG were considered as the treatment-responsive group, and the patients whose clinical seizures persisted during the last 12 months of their follow-up or who had generalized spike waves on their follow-up EEGs were considered as patients who did not respond to ASMs. Results There were 29 patients, 20 girls and nine boys, with a mean age of 13.34 ± 2.17 years and a follow-up time of 32.1 ± 11.9 months. Twenty-two cases (75.8%) were evaluated as responsive to treatment. Generalized tonic–clonic seizures (GTCS) were statistically more common in patients who did not respond to ASM. Epileptic seizures began at a younger age in the group that responded to medication. Occipital intermittent rhythmic delta activity (OIRDA) in EEG was significantly higher in the group that responded to the medication. Conclusion Our study shows that concomitant GTCS may predict poorer response to ASMs in JAE. Younger age at diagnosis and OIRDA on EEG may be associated with better response to treatment. Our findings need to be confirmed by further prospective and long-term studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare sociodemographic characteristics, quality of life, and levels of depression and anxiety of children with epilepsy and their families with a healthy control group. Materials and Methods: In this study, 60 epileptic children and their families were included. The data of these patients were compared with 51 healthy children and their families. The Children's Depression Inventory, Beck Depression and Anxiety Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, KINDL General quality of life scale, KINDL-epilepsy module, and short form-36 were used to determine the depression, anxiety, and quality of life levels of children and parents. Results: Depression and anxiety scale scores of the epilepsy group were statistically higher than the control group (P < .05). In the epilepsy group, the emotional well-being dimension on the KINDL parent scale and the total health, emotional well-being, family, and friends dimensions on the KINDL child scale were statistically lower than the healthy control group (P < .05). Short form-36 scores of the parents of the epilepsy group were statistically lower than the parents of the control group (P < .05). As the KINDL epilepsy quality of life dimension scores increased, the scores of the parental short form-36 quality of life scale scores increased. KINDL parental total scores were statistically lower in those with comorbidities than those without comorbidities. Conclusion: Monitoring for psychiatric comorbidities and quality of life status for both the child and the parents is recommended. Also, it should be emphasized that it would be more beneficial to use self-answered scales when assessing the quality of life of epileptic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]