CONTINUOUS SPIKES AND WAVES DURING SLEEP IN CHILDREN WITH SHUNTED HYDROCEPHALUS

Focal epileptiform abnormalities in awake children submitted to ventri cular shunting are well described in the literature, but there are few reports about EEG patterns during sleep. We studied 20 children affec ted by hydrocephalus of various aetiology and submitted to shunting du ring the first year of life. We found focal abnormalities in all the c hildren and in 95% of cases they were on the same side as the shunt; i n 65% of cases they had an amplitude of 300 mV or more. During sleep t here was activation of abnormalities in all subjects, and in 33% we fo und continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS). We discuss t he aetiology of CSWS and its possible role in causing the neuropsychol ogical disturbances of our patients.