Research view
Title: | Electroencephalographic pattern among autistic children and their relatives |
Author: | Nehal Elkholy, Ayman Ezedin, Mohammed Hamdy, Heba Abou El Wafa |
Abstract: |
Introduction
Autism and related autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are lifelong, often severely impairing
neurodevelopmental syndromes involving deficits in social relatedness, language, and behavior.
There is good evidence that electroencephalographic (EEG) changes are common in children
with autism and these EEG changes are considered to be signs of cerebral dysfunction.
Aim of the work
The aim of this study was to study specific EEG patterns in autism and to correlate severity
of autism to EEG patterns.
Participants and methods
The study was conducted on 30 children who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for autism aged
3 years and above, and 30 siblings of them not fulfilling criteria of any pervasive developmental
disorder. Participants of this study were recruited from the private centers of developmentally
handicapped children, and the neuropsychiatry outpatient clinic of Alexandria University
Hospital. All studied children were subjected to the following: first: full history taking and
physical, neurological, and psychiatric examination for clinical assessment of ASD according
to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Second: psychological testing using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale
(CARS). Third: EEG for all sampled children.
Results
Prevalence of EEG abnormalities among autistic cases was 66.7%, whereas in the sibling
group was 20%, which was significantly different from cases group. Generalized symmetrical
spike wave complexes and focal centrotemporal spikes were the most prevalent EEG changes
among autistic cases. There was a significant relationship between CARS and generalized
EEG abnormalities.
Conclusion
Generalized symmetrical spike wave complexes and focal centrotemporal spikes were the
most prevalent EEG changes among autistic cases. The lack of similarity between cases
and sibling EEGs suggests that the epileptiform activity found in children with ASDs is more
than just a familial pattern or a typical childhood finding. There was a significant relationship
between CARS and generalized EEG abnormalities.
Keywords:
autism, autism spectrum disorder, Childhood Autism Rating Scale, electroencephalography,
epilepsy, epileptic, pervasive developmental disorder, seizures
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Journal: | Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry 2015, 36:150–157 |
Text: | |
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