Somatic implications of generalized and/or focal EEG slowing in psychiatric patients

The extent of medical follow-up of abnormal screening EEGs secured from psychiatric patients, particularly those reporting slow wave dysrhythmias as the single finding, still varies widely. From an earlier routine EEG screening program for psychiatric inpatients, 103 consecutive cases of abnormal EEGs with generalized, focal, or paroxysmal slowing as the only EEG finding were identified. Despite suggestions for medical follow-up, less than half (44.6%) of the patients received subsequent study. However, 74.2% of patients considered to be without organic pathophysiology at the time of the EEG had positive organic findings on medical follow-up.