[Electro-clinical evolution of cerebral spongiosis]

Electroencephalogram was repeated about every third week in the last five months' course of a spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob type. This confirms the interest of EEG and its diagnostic value in certain presenile dementias. The appearance of triphasic stereotyped complexes with a short periodic interval is the fundamental pattern allowing to predict, then to assess, the diagnosis. Our study is based upon 14 polygraphic records (including EEG, respiratory rhythm, ocular movements and limbs' actogram); compared with previous studies from the literature it shows some pecularities: - periodic discharges with an interval of about one second appearing early, i.e. before the clinical picture became typical, -lack of any change under the influence of various drugs and stimulations, - stability of the pattern throughout the whole course of the disease.