Abstracts

Rationale: Diagnosis of epilepsy after a first unprovoked seizure is still difficult, if there is no MRI and EEG abnormalities. Even in patients with epilepsy, diagnosis and treatment may be delayed because the diagnostic criteria are not met when the first unprovoked seizure occurs. Herein, we investigate whether epilepsy could be predicted even if the EEG was normal in the first unprovoked seizure patient.

Methods: We compared quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) power spectra and connectivity between 17 Patients who were later diagnosed with epilepsy (i.e. > two seizures) and 12 matched nonepilepsy patients (with a minimum follow-up of one year) using iSyncBrain® (iMediSync Inc., Republic of Korea) (https://isyncbrain.com/). In the source-level analysis, the current distribution across the brain was assessed using the standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography technique, to compare relative power values in 68 regions of interests (ROIs) and connectivity (the imaginary part of coherency) between ROIs.

Results: qEEG showed higher temporo-occipital alpha band power and lower frontal beta band power in non-epilepsy control compared with epilepsy patients. Additionally, epilepsy patients had significantly lower connectivity in the alpha beta band than non-epilepsy control.

Conclusions: First unprovoked seizure patients presented different brain function according to whether they have future epilepsy. The qEEG and connectivity may be a useful tool to estimate the risk of epilepsy in those tho do not show interictal epileptiform discharges on their first EEG.

Funding: Please list any funding that was received in support of this abstract.: No funding.