Abstracts

Epileptiform changes on EEG are frequently important for the diagnosis of epilepsy. Very little has been reported on the frequency of EEG changes in newly diagnosed cases in the general population. We report the findings of a population based incidence study of unprovoked single seizures and epilepsy in Iceland. We present the relative distribution of epileptiform EEG changes. Cases were identified through a surveillance system which screened all health care facilities in Iceland during the 39 month study period. We have analyzed the frequency of epileptiform activity based on the gender, seizure type, age at onset, etiology and epileptic syndrome. Overall 31% of all had epileptiform activity with the highest proportion seen among children. EEG findings by age group are presented in table. [table1] We present a population based study which describes the proportion of newly diagnosed seizures and epilepsy who have epileptiform changes on EEG. The results are useful when evaluating the usefulness of EEG as a diagnostic tool for individuals with newly diagnosed epileptic seizures. (Supported by the National Institute of Health)