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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
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Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

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Intracranial blood flow velocities during seizures and generalized epileptic discharges

H Bode1

  • 1University Children's Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.

European Journal of Pediatrics
|September 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Epileptic seizures alter blood flow in children's brains. Tonic seizures increase middle cerebral artery flow velocity, while absence seizures decrease it, indicating significant neurological changes during epilepsy.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neurophysiology

Background:

  • Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
  • Cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation can be affected during epileptic seizures.
  • Understanding CBF changes during seizures is crucial for managing epilepsy in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate changes in cerebral blood flow velocities during different types of epileptic seizures in children.
  • To correlate these changes with seizure types and potential underlying mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Continuous transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) was used to record middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocities.
  • Measurements were taken during a standard 30-minute electroencephalogram (EEG) in 51 children with epilepsy.
  • Seizure activity and associated hemodynamic changes were analyzed in 16 children who experienced 33 seizures.

Main Results:

  • Tonic seizures were associated with a significant increase in MCA mean flow velocity (median 160% of baseline).
  • Tonic-clonic seizures also showed increased flow velocities.
  • Absence seizures resulted in a decrease in MCA mean flow velocity (median 71% of baseline).
  • No significant alterations in flow velocity were observed during petit-mal status, electrical status epilepticus, or brief generalized epileptic discharges without clinical symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Epileptic seizures induce distinct alterations in cerebral blood flow velocities in children.
  • The observed changes may be related to altered cerebral metabolism, arterial blood pressure, and impaired autoregulation.
  • TCD is a valuable tool for assessing cerebrovascular dynamics during pediatric epilepsy.

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