Ictal and interictal SPECT findings in childhood absence epilepsy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the informative value of singl e photon emission tomography (SPECT) in relation to the pathophysiological functioning of the brain during absence seizures and the origin of ictal di scharges in idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs). Six patients with chi ldhood absence epilepsy (CAE) were selected for the study and two consecuti ve SPECT sessions were performed concomitant with EEG recordings revealing normal results and during hyperventilation (HV) studies where the ictal dis charges were induced either alone or accompanied by clinical absence seizur es. All six patients had ictal discharges in their EEGs during HV and two o f them also had clinical absences. SPECT findings during HV revealed an ove rall increase in the cerebral blood flow (CBF) with significantly higher va lues as compared to the baseline data. There was no indication for any foca l origin in either the interictal or the ictal SPECT findings. Results of t he study were supportive for the concept of subcortical origin for the abse nce seizures and they were also promising for the diagnostic value of ictal SPECT in epileptic cases with undetermined origin as to whether they were localization-related or generalized. (C) 2000 BEA Trading Ltd.