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. 2007 Jun;118(6):1369-76.
doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2007.02.027. Epub 2007 Apr 23.

Focal epileptiform activity described by a large computerised EEG database

H Aurlien  1 , J H Aarseth, I O Gjerde, B Karlsen, H Skeidsvoll, N E Gilhus
Affiliations

Focal epileptiform activity described by a large computerised EEG database

H Aurlien et al. Clin Neurophysiol. 2007 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To study the age-related topographical tendency of expressing epileptiform activity, and the effect of focal epileptiform activity (FEA) on the general cortical brain activity.

Methods: 1647 consecutive routine EEGs containing FEA were visually assessed for FEA location and asymmetry. Background activity was compared with that in normal EEGs from 3268 drug-free outpatient controls.

Results: FEA localisation was age-related (p<0.0005) except for the temporal region (p=0.22) where FEA was found equally often in the young and the old. The left hemisphere was more prone to FEA (p=0.018). The left-right asymmetry varied by age (p=0.013). FEA asymmetry occurred most frequently in EEGs from patients older than 80 years, and least frequent in the age-group 20-39 years. FEA was associated with lower alpha rhythm (AR) frequencies (p=0.0041) and higher AR amplitudes (p=0.0023), as well as higher general background activity (GBA) amplitude (p<0.0005), while GBA frequencies were the same (p=0.96).

Conclusions: Topographical localisation of FEA was age-dependent. There was an overall left dominance, but the side asymmetry was modest and varied by age. FEA was associated with changes in AR and GBA.

Significance: The results demonstrate that FEA is associated with cerebral cortical dysfunction also distant from the epileptic focus.

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