Epileptic activity was recorded in the waking and sleep EEG of 62.5% of 80 siblings of 38 patients with absence seizures. Epileptic discharges were noted in waking only in 8.7%, in waking as well as sleep in 28.8%, and in sleep only in 25%. Generalized, partly irregular, and slow spike-wave complexes were found, twice with lateral emphasis. Spike-wave complexes were recorded in 72% of 50 siblings of patients with idiopathic absence and in 46.7% of 30 siblings of patients with symptomatic absence. One epileptic discharge was observed every 108.6 s on the average, without striking differences between siblings of patients with idiopathic (99.7 s) and symptomatic absence (119.3 s). Without any differences between siblings of children with idiopathic and symptomatic absence, the most epileptic discharges were activated in sleep stages C and D, followed by stages A and B. The highest activation rate was observed in the 7-14-year-old group (73.5%) and to a somewhat lesser degree in the group between 15 and 20 years of age (66.7%); fewer epileptic discharges were recorded in younger (25%) and older patients (28.6%). The higher activation rates in the male sex were significant only in siblings of patients with idiopathic absence. Although only five patients (13.2%) were photosensitive, a photosensitivity was found in 24% of siblings of children with idiopathic absence and in 20% of siblings of patients with symptomatic absence. Three siblings of patients with idiopathic absence also had absence seizures; in one of them a febrile seizure occurred at an earlier age. All of them showed generalized spike wave discharges in waking as well as sleep. Occipital theta delta activity with generalization was observed more frequently in siblings of patients with idiopathic absence (82.2%) than in those of patients with symptomatic absence (63.6%). Our waking and sleep EEG recordings prove that concerning etiology-genetic factors play a striking role in idiopathic absence, but are also of considerable significance in the symptomatic types.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Some genetic aspects of rolandic epilepsy: waking and sleep EEGs in siblings.

Epileptic activity was recorded electroencephalographically in at least one sibling in 22 (51.16%) of 43 patients with rolandic epilepsy and/or centrotemporal spikes. In 26 of 69 (37.68%) siblings, epileptic discharges were observed. These were recorded only in waking in 1 subject (1.5%), in waking and sleep in 13 (18.8%), and in sleep only in 12 (17.4%). The greatest number of epileptic discharges was noted in waking during hyperventilation (52.4%) and in sleep stage C (88%). Foci were recorded in only 4 (5.8%) of the 26 cases with epileptic discharges, and generalized spike-wave complexes were recorded in 22 (31.9%). In one sibling, the sharp-wave focus was located in the right centrotemporal area, in a second in the left occipital, and in a third in the left frontal region with spreading to the centrotemporal; in the fourth, two independent foci were observed in the left and right centrotemporal area. One epileptic discharge was observed every 74.9 s in waking and every 150.9 s in sleep. Epileptic activity was greatest in the group between 5 and 12 years of age (54.3%). The same activation rates were noted in siblings of patients with (47.2%) and without seizures (42.9%), and no differences were noted in siblings with (40%) or without (37.5%) seizures. Family history and sex of the siblings of patient did not play a role in the rate of activation. An autosomal dominant inheritance is assumed, but further investigations are necessary.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A contribution to the genetics of febrile seizures: waking and sleep EEG in siblings.

Waking and sleep EEGs were recorded in 67 siblings of 52 patients with febrile seizures (FS). Epileptic activity was noted in at least 1 sibling for 28 of the 52 patients (53.8%). Epileptic discharges were noted in 33 (49.2%) of the 67 siblings. Thirty-two siblings had 3-4 Hz spike wave complexes, and 1 sibling had independent centrotemporal spike foci (rolandic foci). Epileptic activity was noted exclusively in the waking state in only 3%, in waking and sleep in 31.3%, and only in sleep in 14.9%. The greatest number of epileptic discharges occurred in waking during hyperventatilation (32.8%) and during stage C sleep (38.8%). In 5 photosensitive siblings, additional epileptic discharges were noted in sleep in 1 and in waking and sleep in 4. At least 1 sibling in 5 (55.6%) of 9 patients with complicated febrile seizures, in 23 (53.5%) of 43 patients with simple FS, and in 4 of 9 patients (44.4%) with later onset epileptic seizures had seizure discharges. At least 1 sibling in 24 of 43 patients (55.8%) with exclusively FS in 13 of 30 (43.3%) male patients and in 15 of 22 (68.2%) female patients had seizure discharges. Siblings aged 6-10 years had (66.7%) the highest rates of activation. Epileptic discharges were noted in 83.3% of siblings with seizures, but in only 45.9% of siblings without seizures. Seizure activity was recorded in 68.2% of siblings who had occipital 3-4-Hz theta-delta-activity but in only 13.0% of siblings without this pattern.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗