Usefulness of a morning routine EEG recording in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate if a standard awake EEG recording in the morning is superior to afternoon awake EEG session in detecting generalized epileptiform discharges (GEDs) in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME).


METHODS
The study group included 29 consecutive patients (23 women; mean age 22.3+/-6.3 years; age at onset of JME 15.4+/-3.4 years) with JME. Out of 29 patients 5 were untreated, 9 patients were treated with valproate, 8 with lamotrigine, 6 with levetiracetam and 1 patient with valproate plus phenobarbital. Two routine consecutive interictal EEG recordings were performed at 9a.m. and at 3p.m., respectively, while the subject was awake, on the same day after a a regular nocturnal sleep at own home.


RESULTS
The morning EEG recording showed GEDs (i.e., generalized polispike and waves, photoparoxysmal response, or both). in 20/29 patients. In 15 of these 20 patients, the afternoon recording was normal and this difference was statistically significant (p < or = 0.001). Moreover, there was a striking reduction of GEDs in three of the remaining five patients. Nine/29 patients had both morning and afternoon EEG recording normal.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study have illustrated a significant greater rate of detection of generalized epileptiform abnormalities by performing standard awake EEG in the morning in comparison with an afternoon session.
Labate
Angelo
A
Institute of Neurology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
Ambrosio
Roberta
R
Gambardella
Antonio
A
Sturniolo
Miriam
M
Pucci
Franco
F
Quattrone
Aldo
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020190:Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012892:Sleep Deprivation
D000927:Anticonvulsants