title: Spike frequency is dependent on epilepsy duration and seizure frequency in temporal lobe epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We wanted to investigate factors that are associated with frequency of interictal epileptiform discharges by investigating 303 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  We included all patients who consecutively underwent the adult presurgical evaluation program at our center and who had intractable, medial TLE with complex partial seizures due to unilateral medial temporal lobe lesions. The interictal EEG samples were automatically recorded and stored on computer. The location and frequency of interictal epileptiform discharges were assessed by visual analysis of interictal EEG samples of 2-minute duration every hour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 303 patients (aged 16-63) who met the inclusion criteria. The median interictal epileptiform discharge frequency was 15 IED/h, the median seizure frequency was 4 seizures/month. According to univariate analyses, we found that age at monitoring, epilepsy duration, and higher seizure frequency were associated with higher interictal epileptiform discharge frequency. In the logistic regression analysis, we found that higher seizure frequency (p < 0.001) and longer epilepsy duration (p = 0.007) were independently associated with higher spike frequency, while the age at monitoring was not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Seizure frequency and epilepsy duration (years of patient's life with seizure activity) were independently associated with IED frequency, suggesting that IED are modulated by seizures.
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Center Bethel, Bielefeld, Germany. janszky@index.hu
authors.forename: Jozsef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janszky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoppe
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janszky
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gyimesi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008959:Models, Neurological; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors