title: Small sharp spikes revisited: further data on this controversial pattern.
abstract: This study investigated the question of whether small sharp spikes (SSS) are associated with seizures (sz) or represent a completely normal finding. From an EEG laboratory with many referrals with epilepsy, a 48% incidence of clinical sz in pts with SSS was significantly higher than the 15% in pts with normal EEGs, but lower than the 78% in pts with SSS and other paroxysms; the type of sz in the SSS pts was more often partial than the sz associated with normal EEGs. When abnormal records with other non-controversial paroxysms were followed for up to 32 yrs and changed to normal tracings, a decrease in sz was found significantly more often than when the paroxysms were replaced by SSS. In addition, if pts with only SSS lost this pattern in time, sz also tended to resolve, as opposed to sz remaining in the majority who continued to show the SSS pattern. A clear inverse relationship was found between the incidence of sz and age in pts with this waveform. Our evidence argues against the SSS as a completely normal finding, but instead suggests that it is a pattern with a moderate degree of epileptogenicity that is clearly age-dependent.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged