SEIZURES INDUCED BY PHYSICAL EXERCISE - REPORT OF 2 CASES

Two children with seizures induced by physical exercise are described. Epilepsy was present from early childhood (age: 4 and 5 months), but the precipitating effect of exercise became evident only later (age: 2 0 months and 3.5 years). Several treatment regimes were tried, but no satisfactory seizure control could be achieved. In both children no et iological factor was known. MRI, CT and repeated interictal waking and sleeping EEG recordings were normal Hyperventilation and photostimula tion had no effect on the EEG. Physical exercise (e.g., playing footba ll) induced clinical seizures and generalized epileptiform EEG abnorma lities as recorded by ambulatory cassette EEG (Oxford). Cardiac arrhyt hmias were excluded by concomitant EEG recording. Extensive metabolic and endocrinologic investigation during and after seizure induction ga ve normal results. Thus, the pathophysiologic mechanism for exercise-i nduced seizures remained unclear.