[An EEG study in anorexia nervosa and an attempt to use it for prognostic prediction]

Visual evaluation of EEG tracings was made in 77 patients with the clinical diagnosis of anorexia nervosa and in 76 neurotic patients. The following criteria were evaluated and correlated: age, height, body weight on admission and discharge, weight increment per day, presence of basic EEG activities [alpha, beta, gamma, delta], foci, paroxysms, reactions to hyperventilation and general evaluation of EEG (normal, atypical, abnormal). A significant correlation was found between the weight increment and the initial weight. A lower weight correlated with a higher weight increment. The relations between clinical variables and EEG criteria were statistically close to zero. A significant relationship was found between the presence of focal activity and weight increments. Thus only in anorectic patients with the presence of a focus prognostic possibilities of EEG may be presumed.