Changes in awake and sleep electroencephalography characteristics after 1-year treatment for childhood and juvenile...

To compare electroencephalography (EEG) features of newly diagnosed drug-naive childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) and juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE) patients and analyze their response to anti-seizure medications (ASMs).

EEG characteristics between CAE and JAE patients and responders and non-responders to ASM at baseline and 12 months were compared, and the changes from baseline were analysed.

A total of 62 patients (32 CAE and 30 JAE) were included. Discharges in baseline awake and sleep EEGs and interictal and polyspike discharges in baseline sleep EEGs were more frequent in JAE patients. Although the median discharge densities (discharge containing seconds per minute) were similar in baseline awake and sleep EEGs between the groups, the median was higher in the JAE group at 12 months and decreased significantly in both groups at 12 months compared to the baseline values. Responses to initial ASMs were 94% and 77% in the CAE and JAE groups, respectively. In initial sleep EEGs of non-responders with JAE, focal onset generalized spike and slow wave discharges (GSWDs) were more frequent, and the median ictal and interictal discharge densities were higher.

JAE patients had more frequent disorganized discharges at baseline in both awake and sleep EEGs and interictal and polyspike discharges in sleep EEGs than those of CAE patients. Improvement in EEG was more pronounced in CAE patients than in JAE patients. Focal-onset GSWDs and higher ictal and interictal discharge densities on baseline EEG were associated with a poor response to initial ASMs in JAE patients.