Clinical and electro-physiological characteristics of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the clinical and electro-physiological characteristics of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities.Methods:Five patients of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities during electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring in the EEG Monitoring Center, Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital,the Air Force Military Medical University from January 2017 to September 2019 were studied and followed up.Results:All the 5 patients are male, aged 14 to 33 years, with the disease course of 3 to 9 years and the follow-up of 1 to 4 years. The myoclonic jerks, spasms seizure and generalized tonic and clonic seizure occured to the 5 patients. The EEG background of low amplitude alpha rhythm was recorded in the 5 patiens. The ictal-EEG of 2 cases showed the spike wave or spike slow complex waves in the central, parietal area, and the ictal-EEG of 1 case showed the generalized spike-wave discharge. There were no seizures occuring to the 2 cases during video-electroencephalography monitoring. There were no abnormalities in cranial magnetic resonance imaging. The arterial spin labeling of 2 cases suggested that the right cerebral hemisphere cerebral blood flow was lower than contralateral. Antiseizure drugs (levetiracetam in 4 cases and levetiracetam+magnesium valproate in 1 case) were administered, 4 cases were seizure free and 1 case was uncontrolled.Conclusions:The reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities is common in young men, and the EEG background with low amplitude alpha rhythm may be the characteristic of the reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities. The levetiracetam may be the good choice for the reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities and the prognosis of reflex epilepsy induced by thinking activities is good.