title: Electroencephalographic findings in hydrocephalic children prior to initial shunting.
abstract: The EEG recordings of 105 hydrocephalic children with proven ventriculomegaly and increased intracranial pressure were studied prior to initial shunt treatment. Only 2 patients had a normal EEG and 7 had only abnormal dominant activity. Paroxysmal slow-wave activity, generalized or posterior, was present in 37 (35% of the patients) recordings and focal slow waves in 28 patients (27%), these mostly posterior. All types of slow-wave activities increased with age. Focal attenuation was very common under 1 year of age (in 41% of patients of this age group), but after this age only 4 cases (10%) were recorded. Spike- or sharp-wave activity was recorded focally or generally in 45 (43%) of the children. The prevalence of spikes and sharp waves correlated negatively with increasing age: only generalized spikes were usual after 7 years of age. No significant differences were found in the appearance of focal findings between hemispheres. According to the present study, the EEG is abnormal in more than 98% of children with proven hydrocephalus before shunting. The observed abnormalities are described in detail in order to serve as reference material in the follow-up of hydrocephalic children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Saukkonen
mesh_terms: D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn