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Cognitive tasks as provocation methods in routine EEG: a multicentre field study Volume 23, numéro 1, February 2021

TEST YOURSELF

(1) Is activation of interictal epileptiform discharges specific to generalized epilepsies?

 

(2) What type of procedure may have an inhibitory effect on EEG epileptiform activity?

 

(3) Should we include cognitive tasks as a routine activation procedure in standard EEG recordings?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answers

(1) No. Interictal epileptiform discharges are activated by short exposure to cognitive tasks in 15% of either generalized or focal epilepsy patients.

 

(2) Inhibition of interictal epileptiform discharges can be achieved through eye-opening, attention or cognitive tasks in 49-76% of patients.

 

(3) Cognitive tasks, applied in short periods of 3 minutes, were of little additional diagnostic value to routine EEG in unselected epilepsy patients. Therefore, we cannot recommend their routine inclusion for unselected epilepsy patients.

 

 

 

 

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