The relation between EEG paroxysms evoked by tapping of feet or hands (ES), seizures and epileptic syndromes in 186 children is reported from the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Campinas, Brazil. Febrile convulsions alone occurred in 31 (17%) and nonfebrile seizures in 44 (24%); 111 were without seizures. The incidence of epileptiform activity in the EEG among these 3 groups with somatosensory evoked spikes (ES) was as follows: 89% for those with epilepsy, 81% for children with febrile convulsions, and 40% for the nonepileptic group. Nonfebrile convulsions occurred in 24 (19%) of 127 patients with ES compared to only 12 (9%) in a control group with normal EEG. Epileptic syndromes associated with ES included benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes in 12 (27%), localization related symptomatic in 4 (9%), and cryptogenic in 22 (50%). [1]
COMMENT. These authors have previously reported an association between febrile convulsions and somatosensory evoked spikes, mainly in children with epileptiform activity in the EEG. The present study confirms this finding for nonfebrile convulsions by comparing patients with ES and a control group with normal EEG. Children with complicated initial febrile seizures and ES are also at greater risk of developing epilepsy.