Are GPEDs seizures?
Previous studies have demonstrated that up to 90% of patients with GPEDs can have seizures within the next 48 hours. Although uncommon in children, GPEDs can be detected at any age.
What are Electrographic seizures?
Electrographic seizures are seizures that are evident on EEG monitoring. They are common in critically ill children and neonates with acute encephalopathy. Most electrographic seizures have no associated clinical changes, and continuous EEG monitoring is necessary for identification.
What causes PLEDs?
The cause of PLEDs was ischemic cerebral infarction in 11 patients; hemorrhagic cerebral infarction, central nervous system infection, and tumor in 3 patients; traumatic brain injury in 2 patients; limbic encephalitis in 2 patients; central nervous system vasculitis in 1 patient; and cerebral venous infarction in 1 …
Should PLEDs be treated?
In clinical practice, however, PLEDS usually are managed as interictal discharges (ie, spikes or sharp waves). They indicate a high risk for focal seizures, but usually are not treated with antiepileptic drugs unless clinical evidence for seizures is noted.
What are interictal epileptic discharges?
Interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), meaning spikes, polyspikes, sharp waves, or spike and slow-wave complexes without observed clinical seizures, are commonly observed in children with epilepsy. Neuropsychological evidence indicates that childhood epilepsy often has negative effects on cognitive function [2].
What does subclinical seizure mean?
A seizure is unusual electrical activity in the brain. These impulses often cause many symptoms, such as jerking of the body or losing consciousness. When the symptoms of the seizure are not noticeable it is known as a subclinical seizure.
When do you see PLEDs?
The EEG is especially valuable in the investigation of patients with known or suspected seizures. PLEDs are often caused or seen in acute ischemic stroke, tumors, hemorrhages or infection.
What are Generalized periodic epileptiform discharges ( GPEDs )?
Generalized periodic epileptiform discharges (GPEDs) are generalized, synchronous electrographic discharges. This study investigates etiologies, relationship to status epilepticus (SE), and the prognosis for patients with GPEDs. All EEGs with GPEDs performed at Duke University Medical Center between January 1994 and October 1995 were identified.
When is a patient considered to be in status epilepticus?
A patient was considered to be in status epilepticus (SE) if the EEG showed unequivocal electrographic seizure activity or the patient had clinical (tonic–clonic) seizure activity during the EEG. The presence or absence of structural abnormalities of the brain was determined by brain computerised tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
What should you know about GPEDs in EEG?
Relatively little is known regarding the mechanism of GPEDs. When GPEDs are seen in EEG, the patient should carefully be checked for metabolic abnormalities and/or infectious diseases and intracranial lesions.
Which is the most common aetiology of GPEDs?
There were 19 males and 18 females. The most common aetiology of GPEDs was metabolic and/or infectious disease which was established in 22 patients (59.5%). Other aetiologies included subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) in 11 patients (29.7%) and Creutzfeld–Jakob disease (CJD) in 4 patients (10.8%).
