Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
Methods for ECG Evaluation of Indicators of Cardiac Risk, and Susceptibility to Aconitine-induced Arrhythmias in Rats Following Status Epilepticus
Published on: April 5, 2011
Evaluation of cardiac repolarization indices in well-controlled partial epilepsy: 12-Lead ECG findings
Ebru Apaydin Dogan1, Umuttan Dogan, Gulce Unal Yildiz
1Selcuk University Meram School of Medicine, Neurology Department, Konya, Turkey. eapaydindogan@yahoo.com
Purpose:
To evaluate the cardiac repolarization indices in terms of QT intervals in patients with well-controlled partial epilepsy.
Methods:
Seventy-six adult patients with well-controlled partial epilepsy and 66 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. 12-Lead ECGs were obtained from all participants. Corrected QT (QTc) intervals including maximum QTc (QTmaxc), minimum QTc (QTminc) and QTc dispersion (QTcd) were calculated.
Results:
QTmaxc and QTcd intervals were significantly longer in the epilepsy group when compared to control group (439+/-27 ms vs. 422+/-25 ms, p<0.001 and 55+/-18 ms vs. 41+/-18 ms, p<0.001). The proportion of patients with pathologically prolonged QTcd intervals (>50 ms) was significantly higher in the epilepsy group (25 of 76 vs. 7 of 66, p=0.002). QTmaxc was significantly correlated with age (beta=0.29, p=0.012) after adjusting for gender, body mass index and duration of epilepsy. No correlation was observed between the duration of epilepsy and any of the QT intervals. There were no significant differences between the subgroups regarding QT intervals according to the etiology of the seizures (symptomatic/cryptogenic), being on mono- or polytherapy and treatment regimens (carbamazepine/non-carbamazepine).
Conclusion:
The results highlight the importance of cardiac evaluation even in patients with well-controlled epilepsy. 12-lead ECG recordings might help to uncover serious cardiovascular events.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cardiac Action Potential
The cardiac action potential process involves a series of phases characterized by the movement of ions across the cardiac cell membranes, leading to the depolarization and repolarization of the cardiac myocytes.
Ionic Basis of Cardiac Action Potentials
01:29Electrocardiogram
Three major waveforms are present in a typical ECG recording: the P wave, the QRS complex, and the T...
01:28Electrocardiogram Fundamentals
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a diagnostic tool for identifying cardiac conditions such as arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, and myocardial ischemia.
Definition
An electrocardiogram (ECG) visualizes the heart's electrical activity by tracing the electrical movement associated with each heartbeat on a graph or monitor. As the heart beats, an electrical wave passes through it, correlating with the cardiac cycle events.
Parts of an ECG
An ECG utilizes electrodes on the skin to...
01:30Dysrhythmias V: Evaluating Dysrhythmias
01:25ECG Interpretation of Arrhythmias II: Atrial, Junctional and Ventricular Arrhythmias
01:24ECG Interpretation of Rhythms
Components of the Electrocardiogram
The primary components of a normal ECG waveform in Normal sinus rhythm(NSR) include the P wave, PR interval, QRS complex, ST segment, T wave, and occasionally a U wave.
ECG waveforms are divided by vertical and horizontal lines at standard intervals.
The horizontal axis measures time and rate, and the vertical axis measures amplitude or voltage. When...