Objective To investigate the characteristics of early electroencephalogram in children with autoimmune encephalitis, and to provide objective basis for early diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune encephalitis.
Methods A retrospective analysis of materials of video electroencephalogram and ambulatory electroencephalogram in 32 children with autoimmune encephalitis8 with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis and 24 with antibody negative autoimmune encephalitis was performed, and electroencephalogram background, discharge site of clinical episode, interepisode epileptic discharge and subclinical epileptic seizure were analyzed.
Results Abnormal electroencephalogram occurred in 30 cases and normal electroencephalogram in 2 cases. Background slowing was observed in all the 30 children with electroencephalogram abnormalities, and 16 cases (53.3%) had background δ wave. Electroencephalogram showed that 6 cases (20.0%) had disturbed sleep cycle. There were 14 cases (46.7%) with abnormal interictal discharges, all of them were focal discharges, among whom 6 cases had convulsions during electroencephalogram monitoring and convulsions were from focal origin. One out of 6 cases had forehead δ rhythm. Another 18 cases had no paradoxical discharge.
Conclusion In children with autoimmune encephalitis, the electroencephalogram mainly shows diffuse δ wave, the discharge mainly occur in tempus during epileptic seizure, and the epileptic discharge mainly in the frontal temporal area in the interseizure stage.