Regional Cerebral Blood Flow and EEG in Patients With Epilepsy

Abstract

• Regional cerebral blood flow (RCBF) was correlated with the EEG in 10 patients with partial seizures of the psychomotor or complex type, 10 patients with other types of partial seizures of the motor or sensory type, 4 patients with petit mal or absence seizures, and 9 patients with grand mal or generalized seizures. Of 20 patients with partial seizures studied, 11 showed noticeable RCBF increases in the steady state in anatomical areas of the brain that correlated with the EEG focus or clinically suspected areas of epileptogenic activity. During the standard psychophysiological activation procedure, those patients who did not show regional hyperemia in the steady state had considerable RCBF increases in the suspected cerebral focus, together with RCBF increases in the brain stem and cerebellar regions and occasionally a zone of reduced RCBF surrounding the focus. Correlation was found between generalized 3-Hz spike and wave dysrhythmia and increased cortical gray matter flow throughout both hemispheres during typical absence seizures, with no hyperemia of the brain stem or cerebellar regions. Measurement of RCBF concurrently with EEG is of interest in seizure disorders, since it provides two different measures of excessive neuronal activity.