Electroencephalographic findings in children with cerebral palsy: a study of 151 patients
1Department of Neurology, King Fahd University Hospital, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. asulaiman@hospital.kfu.edu.sa
Insights
Electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities are common in children with cerebral palsy (CP), with over 90% showing abnormalities, particularly epileptiform activity. These findings highlight the frequent association between CP and EEG changes, regardless of seizure status.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Clinical Neurophysiology
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a key diagnostic tool for evaluating neurological function in CP.
- Understanding EEG patterns in CP is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and types of EEG abnormalities in a cohort of children with cerebral palsy.
- To compare EEG findings between children with and without seizures within the CP group.
Main Methods:
- Standardized EEG recordings were performed on 151 children (0.4-13 years) diagnosed with CP.
- EEG data were analyzed by a single electroencephalographer.
- Patients were categorized into seizure and seizure-free groups.
Main Results:
- Overall, 92.6% of children with CP exhibited EEG abnormalities.
- Epileptiform activity was the most common abnormality, seen in 66% of the seizure group and 38.6% of the seizure-free group.
- Children without seizures still showed significant abnormalities (76%), including slow waves and epileptiform discharges.
Conclusions:
- EEG abnormalities are highly prevalent in children with cerebral palsy, irrespective of seizure occurrence.
- The findings suggest a potential heterogeneity in the underlying neural pathology of CP.
- EEG evaluation is essential for characterizing neurological dysfunction in pediatric CP cases.
Abstract:
EEG abnormalities were studied in 151 patients (79 boys, 72 girls age range 0.4-13 years) with cerebral palsy (CP). They all had standardised EEG recordings, which were read by the same electroencephalographer. Eighty-one children had seizures and 70 were seizure-free. The EEG abnormalities in the seizure group included slow waves in 36 patients (generalised asynchronous in 33 and generalised synchronous in 3); amplitude abnormalities in 2 (focal in 1, generalised 1); epileptiform activity (including isolated sharp waves, isolated spikes, and spike-wave and polyspike-wave complexes) was seen in 66 (focal in 12; generalised in 48 and multifocal in 6). Hypsarrythmia was found in 4 and burst suppression in 1. Only 6 recordings were normal giving an overall percentage of abnormality of 92.6%. Of the CP patients without seizures, 28 (40%) showed generalised asynchronous slow waves; epileptiform activity was found in 27 (focal in 2, generalised in 23 and multifocal in 2); 3 subjects showed hypsarrythmia and 24 recordings were normal. The overall percentage of abnormality in this group was 76%. Cerebral palsy in children, regardless of its cause may be associated with generalised focal EEG abnormalities. This may reflect heterogeneity of the neural-generator in the underlying disease process.
