title: The diagnostic role of short duration outpatient V-EEG monitoring in children.
abstract: Video-electroencephalographic monitoring enables correlation between behavioral and EEG data, however, because it requires prolonged hospitalization, it may be stressful and expensive. This study aimed to assess the benefits and limitations of this procedure in children. We analyzed 39 children classified according to clinical complaints: doubts about epilepsy classification in 23 (Group I); differential diagnosis with nonepileptic events in eight (Group II); and differential diagnosis between cognitive decline and subtle seizures in eight (Group III). Clinical episodes were recorded in 37 patients (94.9%). In Group I, seizure type was reclassified in 11 patients and epileptic syndrome in nine. In two patients a previously unnoticed seizure type was recorded. In Group II, four patients presented epileptic seizures. In Group III, nonconvulsive status was detected in five. Video-electroencephalographic monitoring enabled major modification of therapeutic approach in 21 patients and guided new neuroimaging studies in 10 patients. In conclusion, in patients with frequent seizures, short video-electroencephalographic monitoring allows proper classification of epileptic syndromes, and diagnosis of nonepileptic seizures, promoting introduction of appropriate treatment with a relatively low cost.
authors.affiliation: Department and Institute of Psychiatry, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kette D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Lia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gronich
authors.forename: Nubio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Negrão
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014741:Video Recording
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants