Clinico-electroencephalographic studies of multiple sclerosis.
57 cases of multiple sclerosis was seen from 1949-1979, an incidence of 935 per 100,000 neurological admissions, and 0.04 per 100,000 inpatient admissions. There was a sex ratio of 1:1.1, and a mean age of 33 years. The mean duration of illness was 31 months. It is striking that in 47% the initial affliction was visual impairment (62% being bilateral). Motor paralysis, chiefly paraplegia (37%) was also frequent. However, initial diplopia, vertigo and ataxia were uncommon. Aside from these variations the clinical picture of multiple sclerosis is essentially the same as seen in the West. The EEG changes were nonspecific without definite correlations with age, sex, occupation, birthplace, age at admission, age at onset, duration of illness, mode of onset and clinical manifestations. Active cases presented more abnormal records thant quiescent cases. More abnormal records were obtained in cases with remissions and relapses than those running a progressive course. The EEG, especially with serial studies, is helpful in depicting cortical dysfunction in multiple sclerosis at an early stage of the disease. A normal tracing does not exclude structural damage inasmuch as submicroscopic and substructural physiochemical changes might not be sufficiently severe to cause alteration in electrical activity recorded from the convexity of the cerebral hemispheres.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis*