title: [Electroencephalographic contribution to the differentiation of functional and structural disorders].
abstract: Parametric and symptomatologic studies of the EEG in large populations have served to define stages of maturation and criteria of "normality". The younger the subjects, however, the wider are the variations. In the first stage of life only massive cerebral lesions afford unquestionable EEG evidence: in evaluating dysrhythmias it is necessary to bear in mind their high incidence in normal subjects. Hence their meaning is to be understood only by prolonged longitudinal studies. The reference here is not only to diffuse or focal slow anomalies, but also to specific pathologic rhythms. The difficulty of interpreting such anomalies is particularly evident when epileptogenic potentials are found, since they may be signs of a lesion but their clinical correlations are uncertain. The concept of "masked epilepsy" must be rejected. Only the diagnoses of latent or proven epilepsy are admissible, and these epilepsies may be without direct relationship to the clinical, psychiatric or central nervous findings in the affected subject. Numerous genetic, afferential, emotional or biologic factors are involved in the development of non-lesional disorders. Accordingly, the EEG has only a minor contribution to make in the definition of mild focal or diffuse pathologic anatomy of the brain in the very young subject.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis
vernacular_title: Apport electroencephalographique dans la differenciation des troubles d'ordres fonctionnel et lesionnel