Systematic EEG follow-up study of traumatic psychosis.
A systematic 2 year follow-up study of EEG in 100 patients suffering from traumatic psychosis with amnesia lasting more than 1 week led to the following results. (1) EEG foci were demonstrated in 95% of cases, and bilaterally in 70%. Normalization occurred within 3 months in 48% of patients, with foci persisting for more than 2 years in 22% mostly in patients with traumatic epilepsy. Focal signs initially consisted of delta foci (85%) and finally of focal dysrhythmia (72%), with temporal localization increasing from 58% to 82%. EEG foci were associated with neurological focal symptoms in 49% of cases and skull fractures in 78%. (2) During psychosis a general slowing of EEG was constantly observed. Normalization occurred within 3 months in 28% of patients. Rarely slowing lasted longer than 6 months. (3) It took longer to normalize general slowing than EEG foci, but slowing disappeared more completely. The left preponderance of EEG foci in traumatic psychosis could not be confirmed, the hypothesis of a pathoplastic role of the speech dominant hemisphere was not proved.
Abteilung Allgemeine Psychiatrie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D000647:Amnesia / Q000209:etiology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors