Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
Seizures in acute childhood stroke
Rani K Singh1, Nassim Zecavati, Jarnail Singh
1Center for Neuroscience, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. ranising@med.umich.edu
Insights
Pediatric stroke patients experiencing seizures within 24 hours face a high risk of developing epilepsy within six months. Early seizure detection is crucial for predicting long-term outcomes in children with acute stroke.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Stroke Research
Background:
- Acute stroke in children is a significant neurological event.
- Seizures are a common complication following pediatric stroke.
- Understanding epilepsy risk is vital for long-term management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of seizures in pediatric acute stroke.
- To identify predictors for the subsequent development of epilepsy.
- To analyze the timing and characteristics of seizures post-stroke.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pediatric patients (>3.5 years) with acute stroke.
- Data collection on seizure occurrence, type, and timing.
- Analysis of factors associated with epilepsy development at six months.
Main Results:
- 21% of patients presented with clinical seizures; 10% had seizures during hospitalization.
- Status epilepticus was frequent, particularly in infants and those with cortical strokes.
- 24% developed epilepsy within six months, all with initial seizures.
Conclusions:
- Seizures in the first 24 hours of pediatric stroke strongly predict epilepsy development.
- Status epilepticus is common in infants with stroke.
- Prolonged EEG aids in detecting non-convulsive seizures but not epilepsy risk.
Objectives:
To describe the risk of seizures in children with acute stroke and identify factors predicting their later risk of epilepsy.
Study Design:
Data for patients >3.5 years of age at a tertiary care children's hospital with acute stroke were collected and reviewed.
Results:
Seventy-seven patients were identified (mean age, 8.4 years); 21% had clinical seizures. An additional 10% of patients had a clinical seizure during the acute hospitalization. Status epilepticus was common in infants and patients with cortical strokes. Non-convulsive status epilepticus was captured only in patients with prolonged electroencephalograms and always within 24 hours of monitoring. Six months after their stroke, 24% of our patients had epilepsy, all of whom experienced seizures at initial presentation with stroke.
Conclusion:
In our series of pediatric patients with stroke, most of the clinical seizures occurred within the first 24 hours of presentation and did not vary in stroke subtype. Status epilepticus was common, especially in infants. Epilepsy had a high likelihood of developing in the next 6 months in children with seizures in the first 24 hours of stroke onset. Prolonged electroencephalogram monitoring was useful in detecting non-convulsive status epilepticus, but not in predicting the risk of epilepsy at 6 months.
Related Concept Videos
Seizures l: Introduction
Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
Seizures ll: Types
Epilepsy ll: Types
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Stroke: Introduction and Types

