Longitudinal study of epileptic foci in childhood

: We performed the longitudinal study in patients with focal spikes about characteristic changes in epileptic foci for periods of between one year and 5 years 9 months. The 116 epileptic children were evaluated, ranging in onset age from 10 month to 12 year 9 month old (mean age: 6 year 11 month). They were subdivided into four groups according to their region of foci: group 1, 41 patients with the centro-temporal spikes (Rolandic discharges); group 2, 14 patients with the occipital spikes; group 3, 6 patients with frontal pole spikes; group 4, 55 patients with the other focal spikes. EEG examinations were followed 6 months interval in each patients, and total 412 EEG trancing were investigated. Migration of epileptic foci was recognized in thirty eight patients (32.8%): 17 (41%) in Rolandic discharges, 7 (50%) in occipital spikes, 4 (67%) in frontal pole spikes and 10 (18%) in other spikes. The mean time to the migration of next foci was 45.6 months in Rolandic discharges, 18.4 months in occipital spikes, 17.6 months in frontal pole spike and 61.4 months in other spikes. As to the regions of migrated foci, Rolandic discharges tended to move to the near and horizontal areas such as from central to temporal. Whereas, occipital spikes and frontal pole spikes tended to move to the distant and vertical areas such as from occipital to frontal pole and from frontal pole to occipital. But other spikes showed no tendency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)