Application of a sleep electroencephalogram in the diagnosis of epilepsy in children / 中国基层医药

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the significance of sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of childhood epilepsy.Methods:The clinical data of 56 children with epilepsy diagnosed in The Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Huainan from February 2020 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between the positive rate of epileptiform discharge under sleep EEG monitoring and its location and sleep phase was analyzed.Results:Of the 56 children, 36 (64%) children had normal results of routine awake EEG monitoring, and 20 (36%) children had abnormal results. Among the 56 children, 9 (16%) children had normal sleep and 47 (84%) had abnormal sleep. The difference in EEG monitoring results between the awake and asleep states was statistically significant ( χ2 = 27.08, P < 0.001). Among abnormal EEG in 47 patients, paroxysmal abnormality (epileptiform discharge) was found in 44 patients and non-specific abnormality was found in 3 patients. Among the 44 children with epileptic discharges, 5 (11%) had epileptic discharges during wakefulness, 11 (25%) children had epileptic discharges during a sleepless period, and 28 (64%) had epileptic discharges during a slight sleep period. EEG epileptiform discharges occurred in the central temporal region in 9 (21%) patients, temporal region in 8 (18%) patients, parieto-occipital region in 1 (2%) patient, frontal region in 5 (11%) patients, and the frontotemporal region in 6 (14%) patients. Generalized discharges were found in 14 (32%) patients, and generalized hypsarrhythmia was found in 1 (2%) patient. Conclusion:Children with clinically highly suspected epilepsy should be reexamined by sleep EEG if the routine awake EEG, monitoring results are normal, to reduce the rates of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis in children with epilepsy.