Electroencephalogram findings in 10 patients with post-stroke epilepsy: A retrospective study

Abstract

BACKGROUND Post-stroke epilepsy is a common and easily overlooked complication of acute cerebrovascular disease. Long-term seizures can seriously affect the prognosis and quality of life of patients. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is the simplest way to diagnose epilepsy, and plays an important role in predicting seizures and guiding medication. AIM To explore the EEG characteristics of patients with post-stroke epilepsy and improve the detection rate of inter-seizure epileptiform discharges. METHODS From January 2017 to June 2020, 10 patients with post-stroke epilepsy in our hospital were included. The clinical, imaging, and EEG characteristics were collected. The stroke location, seizure type, and ictal and interictal EEG manifestations of the patients with post-stroke epilepsy were then retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS In all 10 patients, epileptiform waves occurred in the side opposite to the stroke lesion during the interictal stage; these manifested as sharp wave, sharp-wave complex, or spike discharges in the anterior head lead of the side opposite to the lesion. CONCLUSION In EEG, epileptiform waves can occur in the side opposite to the stroke lesion in patients with post-stroke epilepsy.