To study the correlation and difference between epilepsy and simple epileptiform discharge and risk factors in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Total 375 children with cerebral palsy who were hospitalized in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University from January 2015 to June 2023 were selected as subjects. The clinical data of the children were collected and analyzed retrospectively. According to whether the EEG showed epileptiform discharges and whether the clinical manifestations were epileptic seizures, the patients were divided into the simple cerebral palsy group (278 cases), simple epileptiform discharge group (58 cases), and epilepsy group (39 cases). The χ² test was used to compare the differences between groups, and statistically significant factors were screened and included in multivariate logistic regression analysis to explore the independent risk factors affecting epilepsy and epileptiform discharges in children with cerebral palsy.

Univariate analysis found that there were significant differences in the history of neonatal seizures [14 (5%), 5 (8.6%), 13 (33.3%), χ²=35.089, P<0.001], spastic quadriplegia[25 (9.0%), 11 (19.0%), 15 (38.5%), χ²=26.958, P<0.001] between the three groups. There were significant differences in head circumference [50 (18.0%), 22 (37.9%), 18 (46.2%), χ²=22.178, P<0.001] and GMFCS grade Ⅳ and Ⅴ [91 (32.7%), 27 (46.6%), 20 (51.3%), χ²=7.865, P=0.020] between the three groups. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that small head circumference [OR=2.312, 95% CI:1.372—3.896, P=0.002], neonatal seizures [OR=5.048, 95% CI:2.457—10.360, P<0.001] and spastic quadriplegia [OR=3.212, 95% CI:1.680—6.141, P<0.001] were risk factors for epileptiform discharges and seizures in children with cerebral palsy.

Small head circumference, neonatal seizures, and spastic quadriplegia are risk factors for epileptiform discharges and seizures in children with cerebral palsy.