EEG spectral analysis in children with febrile convulsions

The abnormal theta-rhythm of the EEG can be identified by use of spectral analysis. The rhythms appear as peaks in the power spectrum and can be considered as given, if the intensity of this peak is significantly higher than the average intensity and if a left-right coherence is present. Abnormal theta-rhythms in the parietal region are significantly more frequent in children with a histroy of febrile convulsions than in controls. This difference becomes especially obvious in the records with open eyes. According to previous investigations, the abnormal theta-rhythm is correlated with a genetically determined susceptibility to convulsions.