title: Complexity of focal spikes suggests relative epileptogenicity.
abstract: The EEGs of 39 children with focal or multifocal spikes were subjected to singular value decomposition (SVD) as provided by a commercial software program. We noted that in children with spikes but no clinical seizures the variance accounted for by the first component averaged 91.9%, whereas in children with seizures it was 68.0% (p < .001). The first component accounted for 85.4% in children with single spike foci, for 71.5% in those with multifocal spikes, and for 61.4% (p < 0.002) in those with both focal spikes and generalized spike-wave complexes. Spikes in the frontal and frontopolar areas were the most complex, suggesting that at least in children they tend to be the partial expression of a generalized seizure tendency rather than a result of strictly local pathology.
authors.affiliation: Primary Children's Medical Center, University of Utah, Sandy, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rodin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Litzinger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male