Correlation between scalp high-frequency oscillations and prognosis in patients with benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes

Aims

The study aimed to explore whether high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) can predict seizure risk and atypical manifestations of benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS).

Methods

We recruited 60 patients and divided them into three groups: (1) seizure-free BECTS, (2) active typical BECTS, and (3) active atypical forms of BECTS. Electroencephalogram was used to record the number, location, average amplitude, and duration of spikes, and spike ripples were analyzed using time-frequency technology. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to investigate independent predictive factors for prognosis.

Results

The number of sleep spike ripples, rather than spikes, was an independent risk factor for the active period of the disease (odds ratio [OR] = 4.714, p = 0.003) and atypical forms of BECTS (OR = 1.455, p = 0.049); the optimal thresholds for the spike ripple rate were >0 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.885, sensitivity = 96.15%, specificity = 73.33%) and >0.6/min (AUC = 0.936, sensitivity = 84.21%, specificity = 96.15%), respectively. Furthermore, in typical BECTS, the spike ripple rate showed significant negative correlations with time since the last seizure (ρ = −0.409, p = 0.009) and age (ρ = −0.379, p = 0.016), while the spike rate did not.

Conclusion

Spike ripple was a marker for distinguishing typical and atypical forms of BECTS and reflected the risk of seizure recurrence better than the spike alone. The present findings might assist clinicians in BECTS treatment.