Is an abnormal EEG to be expected in ND children?

[carriebradshawwithlessshoes]

I’ve posted about this on another thread but have tied myself up in knots over the weekend…

DS has adhd, severe speech dyspraxia and autistic traits. Diagnosed with epilepsy at 4. After 3 years seizure free was weaned off meds and is now medication free. He is 8.

He recently had a 24 hour eeg which was abnormal but showed no seizure activity. However it did show a predisposal to seizures. I think I had expected it to be either normal or show he was having a level of seizures, this feels a very half way house and worst of both worlds, not bad enough to medicate but then not normal either and still epileptic in terms of presentation.

However on googling, the stats for a ND child having an abnormal EEG are very high. I suppose what I’m asking is;

1. if your ND child has had an eeg has it been normal or not? Do levels of abnormality correlate with severity of presentation?
2. does an abnormal eeg mean it will never be normal (without meds?)
3. has anyone medicated on the basis of an abnormal eeg, even where there is no seizure activity?

Consultant is often not hugely clear and I’m curious I guess of others experiences….

[SearchingForSolitude]

My understanding is, there is a higher incidence of epilepsy in the ND population, but also a higher incidence of non-epileptiform abnormalities (some of which do require medication).

[SaffronSpice]

In a way I would be surprised if a child who had a history of seizures did not have an eeg that showed a predisposition to seizures. But I don’t know it that if something that is likely to change much over time

[Lougle]

When we were in a possible remission from absences, in that we weren't sure if certain episodes were absences or behavioural, I asked the Consultant what was worse: to medicate non-epileptic episodes, or not to medicate epileptic episodes. He said without a doubt it is worse to medicate if it isn't needed. So I guess if they're not sure, they don't.

[carriebradshawwithlessshoes]

@Lougle thats interesting. I admit I’m confused! 😬. DS’s doctors say that many people have ‘abnormal’ non epileptic eegs and I get that that doesn’t need medication. However if someone with an epilepsy diagnosis is shown as having epileptic form activity (albeit not a seizure captured during the eeg), I wonder why you shouldn’t treat that to try and achieve a ‘normal’ non epileptic eeg? DS on full meds prior did have a fully normal eeg, the dr seems to suggest that’s the optimum position. Did your DC have just absences or other seizure types? What did you do and what was the outcome?

[Lougle]

She had drop attacks and absences. She has seemed to grow out of them.

[carriebradshawwithlessshoes]

Oh that’s brilliant!