Nonepileptic events in normal and neurologically handicapped children: a video-EEG study.
Nonepileptic episodic phenomena are reported in 27 of 124 children (21.8%) who had video-electroencephalographic studies performed. Mean age was 7.4 years (S.D.: 6.0; range: 0.1-19). Nineteen (70%) were neurologically impaired (Group 1) and 8 (30%) neurologically normal (Group 2). The final diagnoses included movement sequences (48%), conversion disorder (22%), behavioral staring (18%), sleep disorder (11%), behavioral episodes (8%), and central apnea (8%). In Group 1, abnormal movements (58%) and staring (26%) were most common; conversion disorder (62.5%) was most common in Group 2. Unnecessary medication therapy was prevented in many children. Video-electroencephalography is valuable in preventing over-medication and misdiagnosis.
Desai
P
P
Division of Pediatric Neurology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.
Talwar
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D014741:Video Recording / Q000295:instrumentation*