WS1.12. EEG Coma Patterns and Prognosis

Abstract

Identify the EEG coma patterns is just one of the steps in clinical management of those with coma. This lecture will discuss on the importance of EEG in diagnosis, prognosis, management and monitoring of disease progress, but also the limitations of EEG. There are various EEG patterns in coma including both focal and generalised EEG patterns. It is essential to correlate the EEG with clinical findings, in order to determine the aetiology, although in certain cases the EEG patterns will guide the diagnosis e.g. triphasic waves in metabolic encephalopathy and periodic discharges in someone suspected to have Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease. A clinical-based approach to differentiate epileptiform and non-epileptiform patterns will be presented based on clinical history, EEG patterns, neuroimaging and response to antiepileptic drugs. An attempt to determine the severity and prognosis based on EEG patterns will be made, in correlation with the underlying aetiology and other clinical findings. Lastly, EEG patterns in coma secondary to autoimmune encephalopathy will be discussed.