title: Ictal generalized rhythmic alpha activity during non-convulsive status epilepticus.
abstract: We investigated the repetitive manifestation of non-convulsive status epilepticus with an uncommon ictal electroencephalographic pattern observed in two patients suffering from epilepsy (aged 29 and 55 years). The patients had suffered from epilepsy since the age of 1 and 40 years, respectively. Interictal and ictal neurological, neuropsychological and electroencephalographic investigations were carried out. Non-convulsive status started and ended abruptly, clinically as well as electroencephalographically. The ictal electroencephalographic pattern was a monomorphic alpha activity with a generalized bilateral distribution. Altered responsiveness, sometimes eyelid myoclonia (in one patient) and amnesia were the most characteristic clinical findings during non-convulsive status. Intellectual development was delayed in the patient with early onset of epilepsy. However, this was not the case in the other patient, who developed memory impairment during the course of the disease. In both patients, lamotrigine added to valproate reduced the frequency of status epileptici significantly. Obviously, these patients suffer(ed) from a type of generalized non-convulsive status epilepticus with an uncommon electroencephalographic pattern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Germany. Juergen.Bauer@meb.uni-bonn.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kölmel
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Elger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000513:Alpha Rhythm; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology