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Related Experiment Videos

Does hyperventilation elicit epileptic seizures?

Mark D Holmes1, Asanka S Dewaraja, Sampsa Vanhatalo

  • 1Regional Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98104, USA. mdholmes@u.washington.edu

Epilepsia
|May 18, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Voluntary hyperventilation rarely triggers clinical seizures or increases epileptiform discharges in epilepsy patients. This electroencephalogram (EEG) activating procedure shows limited efficacy in individuals with confirmed epilepsy.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurophysiology

Background:

  • Voluntary hyperventilation is a common electroencephalogram (EEG) activating procedure.
  • It is used to provoke seizures and epileptiform discharges in suspected epilepsy cases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the effects of hyperventilation in patients with proven epilepsy.
  • Evaluate the efficacy of hyperventilation as an activating procedure in confirmed epilepsy.

Main Methods:

  • Examined records of 433 consecutive patients with proven epilepsy.
  • Patients underwent 5 minutes of voluntary hyperventilation during standard EEG recordings.
  • EEGs were interpreted by board-certified electroencephalographers.

Main Results:

  • Clinical seizures occurred in only 2 (0.46%) patients (both partial seizures).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Increased frequency of interictal epileptiform discharges was observed in 19 (4.4%) patients during hyperventilation.
  • Hyperventilation showed limited diagnostic yield in this cohort.

    • Conclusions:

    • Voluntary hyperventilation is rarely associated with clinical seizures in patients with unequivocal epilepsy.
    • An increase in epileptiform discharges during hyperventilation is uncommon in confirmed epilepsy.
    • The activating effect of hyperventilation is minimal in patients with established epilepsy.