CLINICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF EPILEPTIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA FOR ITS EARLY DIAGNOSIS.

Abstract

Objective. To develop preventive strategies for early neurological disability based on the study of clinical and paraclinical characteristics of epileptic encephalopathy in early childhood. Materials and methods. The study included 82 children aged 0–3 years with various forms of epilepsy, among whom 39 were newly diagnosed cases. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 — children with epileptic encephalopathy; group 2 — 47 children with other forms of epilepsy (comparison group). The control group consisted of 20 healthy volunteers. The research applied general clinical and neurological examination, the Bayley III neurodevelopmental assessment scale, and instrumental methods (EEG, MRI). Conclusion. The obtained results allowed the development of criteria for early diagnosis of epileptic encephalopathy and its differentiation from other epilepsy forms. Immunological markers — interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) — and their association with clinical features were analyzed. Based on the findings, scientific and practical recommendations were proposed to improve the effectiveness of early diagnosis and treatment.