Evaluation Of Seizure Disorders Research Articles

Electroencephalography: Experience at Abakaliki Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Electroencephalography (EEG) remains the most important investigative modality in the evaluation of individuals with epilepsy and other neurological disorders. The pattern of EEG done in a tertiary hospital at Abakaliki Nigeria is not known. It is against this background that we embarked on this retrospective observational study on the EEG pattern and patient characteristics in Neurophysiology laboratory at Abakaliki Nigeria.
 
 METHOD: This is a retrospective observational hospital based study where the attendance register of the Neurophysiology laboratory was used to extract information on the demography, clinical characteristics and EEG reports of patients seen at the Laboratory from November 2018 to April 2021. 
 
 RESULTS: A total of 125 (Male- 69, Female- 56) persons did EEG over the study period, and 75.2% had epileptiform waves (generalized- 16.8%, focal- 57.6%).  
 
 CONCLUSION: EEG services are been utilized at Abakaliki in evaluation of seizure disorder and other paroxysmal neurological events with more prevalent focal epileptiform waves.

Role of Computed Tomography in Evaluation of Seizure Disorder in Children

Role of Computed Tomography in Evaluation of Seizure Disorder in Children

The usefulness of video-EEG monitoring in elderly patients with seizure disorders

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the use of inpatient video-EEG (VEEG) monitoring in the evaluation of seizure disorders in elderly subjects. We retrospectively identified 36 patients aged 60 years old or over from a total of 849 patients studied at the VEEG unit of the Tampere University Hospital. Sixteen of the patients (44%) experienced at least one habitual seizure during the recording. Seven patients had epileptic seizures including two cases with status epilepticus. Nine patients had various non-epileptic disorders. VEEG had a clinically significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment in 14 of the 16 patients in whom paroxysmal events were recorded and proved to be useful in the evaluation of seizure disorders in elderly subjects.

The Role of Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography in the Evaluation of Seizure Disorders

The Role of Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography in the Evaluation of Seizure Disorders

The Electroencephalogram in Patients With Epilepsy

The EEG is useful in evaluating seizure disorders by establishing or confirming the diagnosis of a seizure disorder, determining the type and focus of origin of the seizure, and helping make the distinction between an epileptic attack and a nonepileptic condition. The EEG also may show other abnormalities, such as focal slowing, that give a clue about the underlying disease process. A negative EEG does not exclude the diagnosis of epilepsy. Activating procedures such as hyperventilation, photic stimulation, and recording during sleep may help bring out epileptiform activity. Occasionally, repeated or more prolonged recordings are necessary to demonstrate the epileptiform abnormalities. On the other hand, epileptiform-like activity may be present in the EEG without being associated with a seizure disorder. As the diagnosis of epilepsy is a clinical one, the EEG, like any test, should not be used independently in making the diagnosis of epilepsy but should be interpreted in the context of the whole clinical setting.

The role of positron emission tomography in the evaluation of seizure disorders

We studied patients with partial and primary generalized seizures using fluorine-18-labeled 2-fluorodeoxyglucose and positron emission tomography. Interictal studies of patients with partial seizures showed regions of focal or lateralized hypometabolism in 15 of 17 patients with unilateral electroencephalographic foci. Several patients had more than one hypometabolic region. In 1 patient PET hypometabolism was contralateral to the electroencephalographic epileptic focus. Six of 10 patients without definite electroencephalographic foci also showed unilateral PET hypometabolic regions. PET during complex partial seizures in 3 patients showed hypermetabolism at the site of the hypometabolic focus. A postictal scan in 1 patient showed extension of interictal temporal hypometabolism to the frontal lobe as well. Interictal scans in 8 patients with primary generalized seizures did not reveal any hypometabolic regions. One patient scanned during an attack of absence status epilepticus showed a slight decrease in metabolic rate compared to the interictal scan. Temporal lobectomy has been performed in 6 patients with focal PET hypometabolism. PET may obviate the need for depth electrode study in some patients with intractable partial seizures.

The evaluation of seizure disorders by computerized tomography

A series of 150 patients with seizure disorders was analyzed in detail. Older individuals (over the age of 65 years) with a short duration of seizure activity at the time of computerized tomography (CT) examination (less than 6 months), associated with specific neurological findings and focal seizures secondarily generalized, produced the highest number of intracranial CT abnormalities. Relationships between CT, electroencephalography (EEG), and other diagnostic procedures and pertinent historical and neurological findings are discussed.