Why do we do EEG? Experience of two years from a new pediatric neurology center

Abstract

Electroencephalography (EEG) is very important for pediatric neurologists. The request reasons and results of EEGs from a newly established center were enrolled. Total of 2021 (1299 sleep + awake, 652 sleep, 70 awake) EEGs evaluated. Patients included 1005 girls and 1016 boys. 65% of the EEGs were normal and 30% was epileptic. Electroencephalography was performed due to epilepsy, fainting, first afebrile seizure, febrile seizure, speech retardation, dizziness, headache, movement disorders, gaze abnormalities, behavioral disorders, tremor, sleep disorders, tic, autism spectrum disorders, infantile spasm, encephalopathy, vision loss and abdominal pain in decreasing order. Significantly more common EEGs were performed due to tics (p:0,006), autism spectrum disorders (p:0,04) and speech retardation(p:<0,001) in boys and due to syncope (p:0,001) and dizziness(p:0,038) in girls. When EEG requests were examined by age groups, statistical significance was found. The EEG requests were parallel to the distribution of epileptic and non-epileptic events seen in that age group.