What do sharp waves mean?

Copy of the report----

This is a 16 channel EEG recording with additional channel for EKG monitoring.Bipolar montage utilized. Representative wakefulness, drowsiness, sleep were reviewed, as well as seizure and spike detection software events. Multiple seizure detection software events were associated with generalized high voltage slowing which is likely hypnagogic hypersynchrony. Spike detection software identified primarly movment myogenic artifact. During wakefulness, the patient has 8 cycle per second posterior dominant rhythm which is symetric and reactive to eye opening with low voltage beta activity in the frontal head regions bilaterlly. During sleep, there was mixed frequency delta and beta activity, all with vertex waves and sleep spindles in a normal configuration and distribution. Ocasional left frontocentral sharp waves were noted during sleep. No clinical accompaniment is noted.

IMPRESSION: This is a mildly abnormal study with left frontal sharp waves during sleep, as described above. Background otherwise normal for developmental age and there are no eletric clinical seizures recorded.

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Please help!

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

The sharp waves denote periodic increased activity in the outer layers of the brain. Waves are detected by the electrodes. Usually electrical activity in the outer three layers of the gray matter (cortex) of the brain s detected on EEG.

If our patient does not have manifested seizures, does he have any behavioral problems ?

Regards

[Concernedparents]

Yes, this is my 8 year old daughters EEG.

She has intractible epilepsy (multiple seizure types), developmental delay and behavioral problems. she has extreeme rages ocasionally. It has been a while since we haev seen any. The EEG was done as she was starting the ketogenic diet.

We were always told she wasn't a surgical canidate, until this EEG they suggested that if she fails the diet we would go back for more VEEG monitoring. She didn't have any seizures while they did the EEG, in the past her EEG's were normal.

what does the high voltage generalized slowing mean- then the other thing, hypnogogic hyperschyrony?

[Concernedparents]

Thank you!!!!!

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

I am sorry I did not make a mention of this in my last post.

The hypnagogic (while falling asleep) hypersynchrony (increased synchrony among the brain waves) is a normal thing. When you daughter is falling asleep, the brain waves become high amplitude and low frequency. Amplitude simply means how tall the wave looks on the paper report. This denotes the normal phenomenon of falling asleep in children.

This was just an additional mention in the EEG, which you need not worry about.

Is she on any medicines ?

Regards

[Concernedparents]

Yes, in addition to having a VNS, and being on the ketogenic diet she is taking Zonegran 300mg, Depakote 500mg and .25mg of klonopin 3X a day.

What do the sharp waves actually mean- I get that they are the patterns recoded, but clinically what does it mean?