THE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM IN CHILDREN WITH MINIMAL CEREBRAL DYSFUNCTION

Abstract

The electroencephalogram (EEG) of 106 children with the syndrome of "minimal cerebral dysfunction" showed normal tracings in 53 cases and abnormalities in 53 cases. In 45 children the abnormalities ranged from "slight" to "moderate" while only 8 patients had markedly abnormal records. The incidence of paroxysmal abnormalities was low (14 patients, 6 of them exhibiting markedly abnormal EEG's), and non-focal abnormalities were more frequently encountered than focal deviations. Only five abnormal tracings were obtained in a control group of 33 physically and mentally healthy children. Patients with overt convulsive disorder, mental retardation, and gross neurological deficits were not included in the study. This study de-emphasizes the diagnostic significance of the 14 and 6 per second positive spike pattern. There is also little reason to attribute the hyperkinetic and aggressive outbursts to epileptic mechanisms since seizure potentials were seldom encountered in our material. The EEG is a valuable diagnostic tool in minimal cerebral dysfunction in spite of the fact that no specific findings can be expected. The diagnosis of minimal cerebral dysfunction should not be based upon the EEG alone.