Abstract
The aim of this study was to review the literature about the effect of physical activity
intervention in children and adolescents with epilepsy. Articles were searched in
the central electronic databases of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycAriticles, and CINAHL for
the following keywords: “epilepsy,” “seizure,” “physical activity,” “physical exercise,”
“exercise therapy,” “sport,” using the Boolean operator “AND” and “OR.” The quality
of the selected articles was evaluated by the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale.
Out of the 22 articles selected, 18 did not involve intervention or did not have pre-
and postresults and therefore were excluded from the study. The remaining four were
studies from Canada and Korea which comprised two long-period interventions and were
included in the analysis. Both programs demonstrated a positive effect of physical
activity on variables related to psychological well-being and cognitive function.
All the four articles demonstrated a lower score of quality. In conclusion, reviewed
studies suggest that physical exercise program induces some benefits in children and
adolescents with epilepsy. However, the noncontrolled trials and the varied analyses
(quantitative vs. qualitative) make it difficult to establish a consensus about benefits
of physical activity in epilepsy.
Keywords
adolescents - children - epilepsy - exercise - physical activity
