Quantitative Electroencephalographic (qEEG) Characterisation and Biomarker Identification of Generalised Paediatric...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Pediatric epilepsy presents diagnostic challenges due to seizure mimics and atypical presentations on electroencephalography (EEG).
• Epilepsy in children can lead to significant long-term health issues and morbidity globally.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify quantitative EEG (qEEG) biomarkers for diagnosing pediatric seizures.
• To explore spectral features from conventional EEG records for objective seizure assessment.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 66 pediatric subjects (2-15 years) with generalized seizures and matched healthy controls.
• Recorded 32-channel EEG data and extracted quantitative spectral features using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in MATLAB.
• Compared spectral features between seizure and control groups to identify diagnostic markers.

Main Results:

• Children with seizures exhibited higher alpha power in both hemispheres and lower beta power in the left hemisphere compared to controls.
• Significant cortical asymmetries were observed, particularly in theta, delta, and alpha power across different regions.
• Specific asymmetry indices highlighted differences in temporal and occipitotemporal regions.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative EEG analysis reveals characteristic alterations in pediatric seizure populations.
• These qEEG findings suggest neurophysiological implications affecting arousal, attention, and inhibitory control.
• The identified qEEG features may assist in the objective assessment of seizures in children.