VIDEO-EEG MONITORING FOR DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF EPILEPTIC AND NON-EPILEPTIC CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN

Continuous Vídeo-EEG monitoring remains the gold-standard tool to confirm or disregard the diagnosis of epilepsy in selected cases in which a differential diagnosis is required and not clearly established in the basis of outpatient procedures. However, it may be a tiresome and stressful experience for patients and it is certainly an expensive test. Thus, we wonder how far (considering both financial and emotional costs) should we pursue the goal of documenting all suspicious events. An illustrative case is presented.

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Importance of Video-EEG Monitoring in the Diagnosis of Epilepsy in a Psychiatric Patient

Case Reports in Neurological Medicine ◽

10.1155/2013/159842 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-2 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Batool F. Kirmani

Keyword(s):

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Conversion Disorder ◽

Chronic Medical Condition ◽

Psychiatric History ◽

Eeg Monitoring ◽

Work Up ◽

The Brain ◽

Video Eeg ◽

Psychiatric Issues

Epilepsy is a chronic medical condition which is disabling to both patients and caregivers. The differential diagnosis of epilepsy includes psychogenic nonepileptic spells or “pseudoseizures.” Epilepsy is due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain, and pseudoseizure is a form of conversion disorder. The brain waves remain normal in pseudoseizures. The problem arises when a patient with significant psychiatric history presents with seizures. Pseudoseizures become high on the differential diagnosis without extensive work up. This is a case of woman with significant psychiatric issues which resulted in a delay in the diagnosis of epilepsy.

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Intensive Neurodiagnostic Monitoring in Psychiatry

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.3109/00048679009077688 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 227-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Perminder S. Sachdev

Keyword(s):

Differential Diagnosis ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Potential Role ◽

Eeg Monitoring ◽

Clinical Events ◽

Psychogenic Seizures ◽

Technological Advances ◽

Anti Epileptic Drug ◽

Video Eeg

A series of technological advances have made it possible to closely monitor electrophysiological and behavioural manifestations of episodic clinical events over prolonged periods of time, with the ability to review the records at leisure or to submit them to computer analysis. The more promising techniques are time-locked video/EEG monitoring, cable telemetry, radiotelemetry, ambulatory cassette recording, intensive plasma anti-epileptic drug monitoring and continuous neuropsychological monitoring. The greatest promise of these techniques is for the diagnosis, research and management of epilepsy. For psychiatry, they offer additional help in the differential diagnosis of non-epileptic events from epilepsy, the most important of which are psychogenic seizures and episodes of aggression. This paper discusses the potential role of these techniques in the assessment of non-epileptic events and transient cognitive impairment in clinical psychiatry.

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