Paroxysmal discharges on EEG in young autistic patients are frequent in frontal regions.
EEGs were recorded in 86 autistic patients during sleep. Epileptic discharges were observed in 37 cases (43%). Twenty-seven (73%) of these 37 cases had localized spikes, 8 had multiple spike foci, one had generalized spikes, and one had both multiple spike foci and generalized spikes. Forty-seven epileptic discharge foci were registered in 36 cases, the exception being one with generalized spikes. Thirty-six (76.6%) of the registered 47 epileptic discharge foci were in the frontal region, one (2.1%) in the temporal region, 7 (14.1%) in the centro-parietal region, and 3 (6.4%) in the occipital region. Twenty (55.6%) of the 36 frontal spikes were at midline (11 at Fz and 9 at Cz), 8 on the left side, and 8 on the right side. The dipole of midline spikes was in the deep midline frontal region. These results suggest that frontal dysfunctions are important in the mechanism of symptoms in autism.
Hashimoto
T
T
Department of Education for Handicapped Children, Naruto University of Education, 748 Nakashima, Takashima, Naruto-cho, Naruto-city, Tokushima 772-8502, Japan.
Sasaki
M
M
Sugai
K
K
Hanaoka
S
S
Fukumizu
M
M
Kato
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001720:Birth Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives