[Value of mobile long-term EEG in epileptology in childhood]

By means of a portable cassette recorder system (Medilog, Oxford Medical Electronics) the electroencephalograms of 31 children were recorded continuously over 24 up to 72 hours. In 6 epileptic children improvement of their anticonvulsive therapy were achieved. Of 25 children supposed to be epileptic 14 turned out to suffer from non-epileptic attacks; in 8 of them useless anticonvulsant therapy already had been installed and could be abolished. In 9 children the diagnosis remained uncertain, mainly because there were no seizure-like events throughout the registration period. Indications for and limitations of the long term EEG cassette recording are discussed on the basis of the available literature.