Transient psychosis in a girl with epilepsy and continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS).
A normally developed and healthy 6-year-old girl suffered the onset of epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures and atypical absences. Initially the EEG showed epileptiform activity over the temporal and parietal regions, later there were episodes of bilateral synchronous spike-wave activity with a frequency of 1.5-2.5 Hz. After a few months, deterioration of cognitive and behavioural functions appeared and gradually increased with the development of a full-blown disintegrative psychosis that went on for several months. Sleep EEG recordings showed the characteristic abnormality described as continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep. Later there was a remarkable improvement of neuropsychiatric functions but a second outbreak of psychosis seems to have left the girl, who is now 9 years of age, with severe mental impairment.
Kyllerman
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, East Hospital, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
Nydén
A
A
Praquin
N
N
Rasmussen
P
P
Wetterquist
A K
AK
Hedström
A
A
D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012894:Sleep Stages; D013577:Syndrome