Abstract
Aim of our study was to evaluate changes of bioelectrical activity in children with acute viral encephalitis. The study involved 26 children delivered to The Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia with a clinically established diagnosis of viral encephalitis. Boys prevailed in the ratio of 18:8, the average age of the group was 12 ± 2.1 years. All patients were enrolled in the study in the first 14 days of acute viral encephalitis; an EEG analysis of 10 healthy children was performed as a comparison group. All patients were registered EEG with the Neuron Spectrum 5 Encephalograph (Russia, Ivanovo), then a visual and spectral analysis of the frequencies were performed. The spectral power of the α-, δ- and θ-rhythms were analyzed, as well as α/δ and α/θ ratios.Visual analysis of EEG in 100% of cases in children in the acute period of viral encephalitis recorded diffuse slowdown with the registration of delta and theta waves. Focal changes in the form of sharp waves were recorded in 85% of cases (21 patients). Periodic activity in the examined group of patients was not registered in any case. A quantitative analysis based on the results of statistical processing revealed a statistically significant decrease in the ratio of α/θ (p = 0.035), maximal spectral power of α (p = 0.046) and minimal of θ (p = 0.044) in children with encephalitis compared with a group of healthy children. Conclusion: In children with viral encephalitis in its acute period significant disruption of normal distribution and power of α- and θ-rhythms is seen. This disruption may be characterized as lowering of the power of both rhythms. We may suppose, that these changes are the result of the inhibition of the thalamus and reticular formation functional activity.
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