Background: Antiepileptic drugs
(AEDs) remain the primary treatment option for epilepsy. Analysis of background
EEG frequencies can be a simple and objective method of evaluating the effect
of AEDs, due to the established hypothesis that the background EEG activity
represents the functional state of the brain. Objective: To assess the effect of
AEDs on the background activity of the inter ictal EEG recordings, using
quantitative measures of some epileptic patients, known to have whether focal
or generalized epilepsy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the medical and
quantitative EEG records of 61 known epileptic patients. The EEG relative
powers of various frequency bands were subjected for statistical comparisons
between patients, who were classified to clinical groups and subgroups. Results:
Significant increase of the relative powers of the slow waves (delta and theta
waves) in the non-medicated, compared to the medicated group mainly seen in the
midline leads as well as the parietal ones. These findings were almost
replicated in non-medicated patients having generalized epilepsies. In addition,
the wave (delta, theta, alpha and beta) powers increase was expressed in a more
diffuse pattern in non-medicated males. Conclusion: We support the hypothesis of
drug-induced decreased cortical EEG sources synchronization
as an explanation of our positive results. The males are assumed to express
such drug-induced changes more prominently than females, due to lack of changes
of the blood antiepileptic drug levels. However, these changes occur in females
in relation to their hormonal cycles, as mentioned in otherprevious
studies. [Egypt J Neurol
Psychiat Neurosurg. 2015 ; 52(2) : 95-99]
Key Words:
Antiepileptic medications, Digital EEG, Relative band power, Epilepsy.
Correspondence to Prof. Ann Ali Abdelkader, Clinical Neurophysiology
Unit, Cairo University, Egypt
Tel: +201006063114. Email: ann.abdelkader@yahoo.com