Über den unspezifischen Hyperventilationseffekt im EEG des gesunden Kindes

Summary

In 118 unselected healthy children between 6 and 15 years of age we examined the regional, periodic and focal arrangement of the potentials as well as the onset and disappearance of the EEG-effect. Findings: In regional distribution, occipito-temporal localization prevails; frontal occurrence does not relate to age, but is seen in the higher degrees of intensity. In these latter cases there appear to exist two types of regional distribution, the occipito-temporal and the bipolar frontal-occipito-temporal. Periodicity: The degree of discontinuity correlates with age and degree of intensity. Strictly isolated paroxysms appeared in 7% and only in slight and moderate effects; no isolated high δ-paroxysms with normal background activity were noted. The presence of focal localization offers strong grounds to suspect an organic lesion. Time of onset in 20% of the children was within 1/2 min, in 50% within 1 min and in 90% within 2 min. Normalization after HV occurred within 1 min, whereas 2 min after the HV, the pH-values still retained 1/3 of the HV-provoked shift.

It is possible that ϑ- and δ-effects are not simply quantitative stages of the same physiological mechanism, but represent two bascically different processes, where the δ-effect rather tends to indicate abnormality. In seeking to determine the diagnostic value of non-specific HV-effects in cerebral disturbances, attention should therefore be concentrated on the δ-effect. It is important thereby to study not only its intensity, but also its structural peculiarities.