ENCEPHALOPATHIC EEG PATTERNS

Course overview

ENCEPHALOPATHY IS DESCRIBED CLINICALLY AS AN ALTERATION IN GENERALIZED ATTENTION, COGNITION, OR CONSCIOUSNESS. IT IS A FORM OF DIFFUSE CEREBRAL DYSFUNCTION WITH VARYING SEVERITIES. THE ACUTE FORM OF ENCEPHALOPATHY CAN RANGE FROM MILD CONFUSION AND DELIRIUM TO COMA. IN THE MORE CHRONIC, SLOWLY PROGRESSIVE, OR STATIC CONDITIONS OF ENCEPHALOPATHY, THERE MAY BE RETENTION OF ATTENTION INITIALLY WITH LOSS OF COGNITIVE CAPACITY. ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) HELPS EVALUATE PATIENTS WITH ACUTE AND CHRONIC ENCEPHALOPATHIES. THE PRIMARY ROLE IS IN DIFFERENTIATING THE CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SEIZURES. THE VARIOUS PATTERNS DETECTED WITH AN EEG IN ENCEPHALOPATHIES ARE SENSITIVE BUT USUALLY NOT SPECIFIC TO A PARTICULAR ETIOLOGY. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS EEG ENCEPHALOPATHIC PATTERNS AND EXPLAINS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN EVALUATING PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS ENCEPHALOPATHIC STATES.