Hemispheric assymetry of abnormal focal EEG findings

THESES

Hemispheric assymetry of abnormal focal EEG findings (Abstract)^*. Theses. Recife, 2011

Fábio Galvão Dantas^**

BACKGROUND: Left and right cerebral hemispheres are morphologically similar. Focal EEG abnormalities should appear with an equal frequency in both of them.

OBJECTIVE: To find out if there is an asymmetry for focal EEG abnormalities in a retrospective study of a series of EEGs.

METHOD: We retrospectively studied 10,408 EEGs from April 2001 to April 2010, separated by age and gender to estimate the frequency of left-sided versus right-sided focal abnormalities. Associated clinical features were also accessed.

RESULTS: Discharges were more prevalent in left cerebral hemisphere, in temporal lobe. A stronger lateralization was found among adults. Right-sided discharges occurred more in frontal lobe. Slow waves were more prevalent in left cerebral hemisphere and among adults. Among left-sided slow waves group, women were more prevalent and men, among right-sided group. Left-sided slow waves were more prevalent in temporal and parietal lobes and right-sided, in frontal and occipital lobes. Epilepsy occurred more in patients with focal discharges. Right-sided slow waves were more related to epilepsy and left-sided, to headache.

CONCLUSION: There were significant differences between cerebral hemispheres on focal EEG abnormalities, suggesting that cerebral asymmetry which must result from different specificities.

Key words: lateralization, EEG, sharp waves, slow waves.

*

Lateralização de anormalidades eletrencefalográficas focais (Resumo). Tese de Doutorado. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Área de concentração: Neuropsiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento). Orientador: Luiz Ataíde Júnior.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  01 Sept 2011
• Date of issue
  Aug 2011