A practical, simple, and useful method of categorizing interictal EEG features in children

We introduce a simple scheme of categorizing interictal EEG in patients with pediatric epilepsy. Five patterns of EEG can be determined by using 2 interictal EEG domains: organization of the background activity and a morphology/topography of epileptiform discharges. These patterns relate to commonly recognized categories of pediatric epilepsy: familial epilepsies, genetic generalized epilepsies, self-limited epilepsies, epilepsies with encephalopathy, and focal structural epilepsies. Each group has distinguishable clinical presentations, inheritance patterns, and outcomes. This categorization may be a useful educational tool; it may also guide decisions about further testing and management.