Abstract
We investigated serial electroencephalographic (EEG) changes before the onset of spasms
in patients with West syndrome (WS) due to perinatal injury in order to determine
whether one can predict WS or not.
In preterm infants with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), depression of EEG activities
is commonly followed by disorganized pattern during the early neonatal period. Disorganized
patterns persist until the late neonatal period, but epileptiform discharges do not
appear. Epileptiform discharges usually appear during early infancy in infants who
later develop WS. As the onset of WS was relatively later in preterm infants with
PVL, it may be possible to select the patients at risk for secondary prevention of
WS with sufficient treatment period.
In term infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, all EEGs during the neonatal
period did not reveal epileptiform discharges in the majority of patients. Multifocal
spikes were very likely to be observed during early infancy, but hypsarrhythmia was
observed immediately after their appearance. It is not always easy to select patients
for prevention of WS with sufficient treatment period.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 26,
2001
Received in revised form:
June 23,
2001
Received:
June 4,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
