Ambulatory Cassette Electroencephalographic Monitoring in Epilepsy

Abstract

Prolonged Electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring or that performed in the ambulatory patients allows cerebral electrical activity or other biological signals to be recorded during long periods with the patient being free to move around in his usual surroundings or in the hospital .The aim of our study is to detect the sensitivity of ambulatory EEG (NEEG) in diagnosing epileptic discharges which may be missed by conventional EEG. The study was conducted on 30 epileptic patients with a mean age of 25.03 ± 9.48 years , they were subjected to thorough clinical assesment, Computerized Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain , conventional EEG and 24 hour Holter EEG recording. Results : There is a highly signigicant statistical difference between conventional EEG and Holter EEG in detecting the epileptic changes (X 2 = 10.07 and P < 0.0 I ), Holter has a high diagnostic sensitivity in patients with generalized epilepsy (X2= 8.40 and P <0.0 I) , a statistically significant difference between conventional EEG and Holter EEG as regardes focal epilepsy (X2= 5.84 and P< 0.05). Conclution :HolterEEG can provide a respectable detection and lateralization oh epileptic interictal abnormalities , However it cannot replace the conventional EEG as an intial screening test.