title: Diagnostic Role of ECG Recording Simultaneously With EEG Testing.
abstract: Arrhythmia is not uncommon in the etiology of syncope which mimics epilepsy. Data about the epilepsy induced vagal tonus abnormalities have being increasingly reported. So we aimed to evaluate what a neurologist may gain by a simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) recording in the patients who underwent EEG testing due to prediagnosis of epilepsy. We retrospectively evaluated and detected ECG abnormalities in 68 (18%) of 376 patients who underwent EEG testing. A minimum of 20 of minutes artifact-free recording were required for each patient. Standard 1-channel ECG was simultaneously recorded in conjunction with the EEG. In all, 28% of females and 14% of males had ECG abnormalities. Females (mean age 49 years, range 18-88 years) were older compared with the male group (mean age 28 years, range 16-83 years). Atrial fibrillation was more frequent in female group whereas bradycardia and respiratory sinus arrhythmia was higher in male group. One case had been detected a critical asystole indicating sick sinus syndrome in the female group and treated with a pacemaker implantation in the following period. Simultaneous ECG recording in conjunction with EEG testing is a clinical prerequisite to detect and to clarify the coexisting ECG and EEG abnormalities and their clinical relevance. Potentially rare lethal causes of syncope that mimic seizure or those that could cause resistance to antiepileptic therapy could effectively be distinguished by detecting ECG abnormalities coinciding with the signs and abnormalities during EEG recording.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey mtkendirli@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mustafa Tansel
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Kendirli
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Etimesgut Military Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aparci
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Erenkoy Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kendirli
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tekeli
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karaoglan
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Guney
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Senol
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Togrol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ECG; EEG; asystole; epilepsy; syncope