Quantitative electroencephalogram analysis in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and its clinical significance

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is among the most prevalent forms of inherited generalized epilepsy in adolescents. It is characterized by photosensitivity and seizures triggered by photic stimulation. Previous magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies have demonstrated abnormal neural dynamics in JME; however, the ability of advanced electroencephalography (EEG) analysis to characterize these abnormalities remains unclear. This exploratory study investigated EEG-derived neurophysiological alterations in patients with JME and their potential relationship to photosensitivity.

We analyzed EEG features such as temporal correlations, signal complexity, and spectral power distribution in 22 patients with JME and 22 healthy controls.

The results revealed significant occipital differences between the patient and control groups. Specifically, the patient group had stronger long-range temporal correlations, higher signal complexity, higher relative delta power, and lower relative alpha power than did the control group. These findings correspond to the characteristic photosensitivity observed in JME and provide neurophysiological evidence linking regional brain changes to clinical manifestations.

The spatial and spectral patterns identified through EEG are consistent with previously reported MEG findings. This indicates that advanced EEG is similar to MEG in its ability to characterize neurophysiological activity. These findings highlight EEG as an efficient and accessible tool for the clinical assessment of JME across health-care settings.