Temporal relationship of generalized epileptiform discharges to spindle frequency activity in childhood absence epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE

The hypothesis that the two main synchronizing mechanisms (spindle and delta oscillations) acting during non-rapid eye movement sleep show opposite relationship with the distribution of generalized epileptiform discharges (GEDs) during sleep was evaluated.

METHODS

We studied the temporal relationship between the distribution of sleep GEDs and the dynamics of Sigma Activity (SA, 12-16 Hz) and Delta Activity (DA, 0.5-4.5 Hz) in 5 children affected by childhood absence epilepsy.

RESULTS

Using correlation techniques, we found a high and positive correlation between GEDs and SA, while DA resulted negatively correlated with GEDs.

CONCLUSION

Sleep generalized spike-and-slow-waves seems to be produced when spindle synchronizing mechanisms are active while DA production seem to exert an inhibiting role. Such a feature seems to be common to other childhood partial and undetermined epileptic syndromes.