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Epilepsy in People With Mental Retardation

  • Chapter
Handbook of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Part of the book series: Issues on Clinical Child Psychology ((ICCP))

Abstract

Epilepsy is a tendency of occurrence of transient recurrent abnormal electrical discharges in the brain affecting one or more of the following brain functions: motor, sensory, cognitive, speech, behavioral, emotional, and psychological. The lifetime prevalence of epilepsy in the general population is between 2 and 3%. The prevalence of epilepsy among people who have mental retardation is much higher. Although it is difficult to determine the exact figure, the reported prevalence of lifetime epilepsy among people with mental retardation (IQ< 70) varies between 13 and 24% (Deb, 1997a; Forsgren, Edvinsson, Blomquist, Heijbel, & Sidenvall, 1990; Goulden, Shinnar, Koller, Katz, & Richardson, 1991; McGrother, Hauck, Bhaumik, Thorp, & Taub, 1996; Rutter, Tizard, Yule, Graham, & Whitmore, 1976).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom

    Shoumitro Deb

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  1. Shoumitro Deb
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Albany, New York

    John W. Jacobson

  2. Department of Pediatrics and Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    James A. Mulick

  3. Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Johannes Rojahn

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Deb, S. (2007). Epilepsy in People With Mental Retardation. In: Jacobson, J.W., Mulick, J.A., Rojahn, J. (eds) Handbook of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Issues on Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-32931-5_4

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