There have been few articles describing incidences of epileptiform discharges in EEG and epilepsy in subjects with cerebral palsy(CP) and probably no references about lateralizing significance of EEG and brain imaging findings in asymmetrically quadriparetic patients. We reviewed clinical, EEG and brain imaging findings of one hundred and fifty patients with paretic cerebral palsy to assess incidences of epileptiform discharges(Eds), background abnormalities and epilepsy as well as lateralizing significance of those findings in 52 patients who were asymmetrically quadriparetic. The results were as follows. 1) Incidence of Ebs on serial EEG and epilepsy excluding febrile convulsion were 28.0 %(42/150) and 30.0 %(4S/1SO), respectively. 2) Among 42 patients with Eds, 19(45.2 %) did not have any history of epileptic seizure. 3) In 52 patients who were asymmetrically quadriparetic, unilateral background abnormality or focal BDs were observed in 21 and unilateral brain imaging abnormalities in 13 subjects. There was a positive correlation between side of unilateral EEG abnormalities and the more severely affected side of the body in 17/52 (32.3%), while there was a positive correlation between side of brain imaging abnormalities and the more severely affected side of the body in 12/52 (23.1%). Also, there was a positive correlation between unilateral EEG abnormalities and brain imaging laterality in 8 subjects. In conclusion, if any lateralized abnormalities, EEG as well as brain imaging are thought to be useful in determining the side of maximal brain damage in asymmetrically quadriparetic CP.
Brain ; Cerebral Palsy* ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neuroimaging ; Seizures, Febrile