Outpatient video-EEG monitoring in children.
Video-EEG monitoring enables correlation of behavioral activity with EEG activity, which is useful in recognition of pseudoepileptic seizures and in investigation of patients for epilepsy surgery. Because most patients are monitored for a prolonged time as in-patients, the cost of the procedure is high. We investigated the value of brief (2-3 h) outpatient video-EEG monitoring in 43 children with frequent seizures, most of whom had symptomatic generalized epilepsy. Indications for monitoring included differentiation of epileptic from nonepileptic behavior, seizure classification, and determination of seizure frequency. Clinical episodes were recorded in 36 of 43 children (83%). A definite diagnosis was established in 9 of the 17 patients investigated to determine the nature of the clinical behavior. Seizures were classified in 15 of the 25 patients investigated to determine seizure type, and classification was different from the original in 9 of the 15 children. A change in epilepsy syndrome classification was made in 9 children. The video-EEG allowed diagnosis in 25 of the 43 children (59.5%). Video-EEG appears to be an effective method for outpatient investigation of children with frequent seizures, particularly those with symptomatic generalized epilepsy.
Connolly
M B
MB
Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Wong
P K
PK
Karim
Y
Y
Smith
S
S
Farrell
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D014743:Videotape Recording