[Dementia and late epileptic seizures]

Epileptiform discharges are found in dementia, specially in Alzheimer's disease. Most of these seizures are tonic-clonic. Triphasic waves can occur in Alzheimer's disease, although they are most often seen in metabolic disorders, particularly hepatic dysfunctions. While there is a good correlation between the severity of EEG abnormalities and cognitive impairment, epileptiform discharges or triphasic waves are not predictive factors for seizures. Finally, the EEG is often useful in the evaluation of dementia and it can aid in differentiating between a degenerative disorder and pseudo-dementia due to toxic-metabolic disorders. However, the EEG does have limitations and the most common abnormalities such as diffuse slowing are not specific and occur in many different types of dementia.