Neuropsychological Assessment of a Continuous Spikes and Waves During Sleep (CSWS) Patient: a Case Study/Description in Childhood: CSWS in a childhood

CSWS is an epileptic encephalopathy with multiple clinical manifestations (various seizure types in association with cognitive, motor, and behavioral disturbances) related to a distinct electroencephalography (EEG) pattern characterized by a spike (sharp wave) and (slow) wave activity significantly activated during slow sleep. There are two fundamental aspects that should be considered in the diagnosis of the syndrome: clinical evaluation that should be related to cognitive, motor, behavioral, and language deficits in a previously cognitively normal or delayed child; and an EEG component of usually generalized (near)–continuous spike and wave complexes during a significant proportion of Non-REM sleep. The aim of this study was to examine the changes of neuropsychological functions over a year, at two distinct moments—T1 (2017) and T2 (2018), in an 8-year-old female child diagnosed with CSWS. The patient underwent EEGs to control her condition in which it was possible to verify patterns consistent with CSWS. Within a year, the patient showed a decline in her performance in most of the neuropsychological tests and tasks. The assessed functions were IQ, language, memory, attention, executive functions, and also visuomotor and visuospatial skills.