Headache in children with centrotemporal spikes

The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term evolution of headache as sociated with rolandic centrotemporal spikes (CTS). The patient group consi sted of a group of 32 children who suffered from headache and presented CTS at electroencephalogram (EEG). As the control group, we selected 52 sex- a nd age-matched children with headache without any EEG abnormalities. During a follow-up of 5 years none of them showed epileptic seizures. The number of headache attacks decreased in the majority of patients, as in the contro ls. A good correlation could be identified between CTS and the number of he adaches attacks both at baseline (r = 0.58, P < 0.001) and at follow-up (r = 0.64, P < 0.001). In four children (12.5%), the frequency of headache att acks increased and this increase was associated with a higher frequency of CTS. In two patients, a change in the EEG pattern was observed during follo w-up, with a 'migration' of the epileptiform complex from central to pariet ooccipital leads. In conclusion, these findings confirm that CTS are not pa thognomonic of centrotemporal epilepsy and that evolution of CTS and headac he in children are statistically related. (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.