Comparison of occurrence rate of the epileptiform discharge
between awake EEG and sleep EEG in childhood epilepsy

Jung, Yu Jin; Kwon, Kyoung Ah; Nam, Sang Ook

Original Article

Korean Journal of Pediatrics 2008;51(8):861-867.
Published online August 15, 2008.

Comparison of occurrence rate of the epileptiform discharge between awake EEG and sleep EEG in childhood epilepsy

Yu Jin Jung¹, Kyoung Ah Kwon², Sang Ook Nam²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Dongkang Hospital, Ulsan, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Busan, Korea

소아청소년 간질 환자에서 수면 뇌파와 각성 뇌파의 간질파 발현율의 비교

정유진^¹^, 권경아^²^, 남상욱^²

^¹울산 동강병원 소아청소년과
^²부산대학교 의과대학 소아과학교실

Correspondence:
Sang Ook Nam, Email: weareone@pusan.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: We carried out this study to determine if there is any difference in the occurrence rate of the epileptiform discharge between awake EEG and sleep EEG and if there are any factors influencing on the occurrence rate of EEG.
Methods
: This study included 178 epileptic children who had visited neurology clinic of the department of pediatrics, Pusan National University Hospital from July 2005 to July 2006. The medical and EEG records of these children who had had both awake EEG and sleep EEG were reviewed. We analysed the occurrence rate of the epileptiform discharge between awake EEG and sleep EEG. We investigated the related clinical factors which included sex, seizure types, underlying causes, age at first seizure, antiepileptic drug (AED) medication, age at recording, and background activity.
Results
: Among 178 epileptic children, 91 patients (51.1%) showed epileptiform discharge in awake or sleep states, 10 patients (11.0%) abnormal only in awake, 40 patients (44.0%) abnormal only in sleep, 41 patients (45.0%) abnormal in both awake EEG and sleep EEG. The occurrence rate of sleep EEG was 81 of 178 patients (45.5%) which was more than that of the awake EEG (28.7%) (P<0.001). The occurrence rate of sleep EEG is more than that of the awake EEG regardless of sex and underlying causes. But there is no significant difference from awake EEG and sleep EEG in finding the epileptiform discharge in the patient with generalized seizure, younger than 5 years old at first seizure, younger than 10 years old at recording, no antiepileptic medication, and abnormal background activity.
Conclusion
: The sleep EEG is thought to be more helpful in the diagnosis of childhood epilepsy.

Key Words: Occurrence rate, Epilepticform discharge, Eelectroencephalogram