Computerized neuropsychological assessment of cognitive functioning in children with epilepsy.

The value of a range of computer-aided tests in the neuropsychological assessment was investigated in 94-177 children with epilepsy, aged 8-18 years, compared with 68-161 controls in the same age group. Children from the age of 8 years could cope with rather complex tests in a wide range of functions: reaction time measurements, motor speed, information processing, and memory. The speed of performance tended to increase with age in both groups, with differences in information processing becoming apparent from the age of 12 years. The precise control of stimulus and response required to define the mainly minor differences between the epilepsy and control groups can only be fulfilled by computerized testing, which should undergo further refinement including voice and language recognition, followed by artificial intelligence.