Abstracts

To characterize EEG abnormalities found on EEGs of pediatric psychiatric inpatients. A retrospective analysis of all EEGs ordered by the Kings County Hospital Center inpatient pediatric psychiatric unit between July 2000 and December 2004 was performed. EEGs were performed using the guidelines of the ACNS. Clinical information was restricted to the history provided on the EEG request forms. The EEGs were interpreted by a neurologist board certified in clinical neurophysiology. Reports were written according to ACNS guidelines. The results of this study were obtained by analyzing information from these reports Between January 2000 and December 2004 a total of 411 EEGs were performed on patient admitted to the pediatric psychiatry service at Kings County Hospital. 24 patients had repeat studies. 387 EEGs were included into the analysis. There were 282 males and 105 females. The age of patients ranged between 5 and 17 years, with an average age of 11.5 years. 134 patients (35%) had abnormal EEGs 93 patients had a non-epileptiform abnormality (e.g. background slowing, focal slowing) alone, while 26 patients had only epileptiform activity. 20 patients had both epileptiform and non-epileptiform abnormalities. Of the 46 (11.9%) patients with epileptiform activity, 26 patients had focal discharges, and 18 patients had generalized discharges. 2 patients had both focal and generalized activity. There is a greater incidence of EEG abnormalities in our study when compared with previously published data on normal children. While the rates of abnormal EEG findings in our population were similar to those seen in the adult psychiatric patients, epileptiform activity was more frequent in pediatric patients. Further studies are required to determine the clinical significance of these findings. (Supported by SUNY-Health Sciences Center of Brooklyn, Department of Neurology.)