Neurology

Question 1

Describe Hypsarrhythmia + clinical episode

Answer 1

Chaotic mixture of high-amplitude slow waves, multifocal spikes, and intrahemispheric-interhemispheric asynchrony.

It can be preceded by a burst-suppression or low-voltage invariant pattern in the newborn period.

Seen in Infantile spasms / West Sx

sudden, symmetric, tonic muscle contraction producing flexion/extension of the trunk and extremities,

Question 2

What causes continous spike slow wave activity + agnosia + language regression?

Answer 2

Electrical status epilepticus in sleep

>80% of sleep = Landau Kleffner syndrome

(Paediatric epileptic aphasia syndromes)

Question 3

Causes of diffuse beta wave activity ( x 3)

Answer 3

Anxiety, benzos, coma

Question 4

What are periodic lateralised epileptiform discharges? (PLED’s)

Answer 4

Sharp spikes on EEG - associated with increased seizure risk and occur in coma