[Special application of EEG and evoked potential studies for practice of childhood epilepsy]

The patients whose EEG demonstrates spikes in the midline-parietal, left and/or right centro-parietal areas can be belonged to a category of benign epilepsy in childhood. In these patients, an extremely high voltage somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) mimicking a spike is elicited by electric stimulation to both upper and lower extremities. The peaks of this giant SEP show extraordinarily high amplitude at N32 and at N50 by stimulation to median and posterior tibial nerves, respectively. It is thought that these spikes originate from the somatosensory cortex in the light of the latencies of the giant SEP. It is not uncommon that the infants with perinatal problems show insufficient staring and tracking. Among these infants, those who have occipital irregular polyspikes and slow waves later develop infantile spasms. This unique combination may be important as the high risk signs of infantile spasms. The visual outcome of these patients relates to persistence of seizures and discharges rather than the pattern of visual evoked potential.