Effect of epilepsy and sleep deprivation on the rate of benign epileptiform transients of sleep.
Seventy-eight individuals with EEG records containing benign epileptiform transients of sleep (BETS) were identified among 7,400 records reviewed in our laboratory in a 6-year period. The records contained no other abnormality in 51 patients (65%). Genuine epileptiform discharges were found in the records of 19 patients; 14 had a history of epilepsy. Thirty-five patients (45%) had a proven history of epilepsy with antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy. In the records of these patients, the mean number of BETS per unit of time was significantly higher (11.88 +/- 2) than in the record of the rest of the laboratory population with BETS (6.89 +/- 0.9) (p less than 0.02). Among five conventional surface montages, ipsilateral ear referential montage (IERM) showed a significantly higher number of BETS per unit of time than did any other surface montage used in the study. Thirty-nine records (50%) were performed after sleep deprivation (SD). When only IERM was considered, SD records showed a significantly higher number of BETS per unit of time (7.36 +/- 1.1) than did non-SD records (3.89 +/- 0.69) (p less than 0.01). Our findings support the general consensus that individual BETS may be normal variants, but a high occurrence of BETS in the record should raise suspicion of underlying epilepsy.
Molaie
M
M
Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory, SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse.
Santana
H B
HB
Otero
C
C
Cavanaugh
W A
WA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*
D000927:Anticonvulsants