Asymmetric Slow-Spike-Wave Patterns with Maximal Discharges Contralateral to MRI Lesions Predict Better Surgical Prognosis in Symptomatic Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut Phenotypes

Abstract

Introduction: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a severe subtype of childhood-onset epileptic encephalopathy with drug-resistant and poor surgical prognosis. However, electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns of symptomatic LGS or LG phenotypes with structural brain lesions including focal abnormalities or asymmetric slow-spike-wave (SSW) patterns remain largely unknown. Due to the contradictory lateralization difference between MRI lesions and EEG pattern in symptomatic LGS or LG phenotypes, it is difficult to determine the precise lateralization of epileptic lesions, which is crucial to better surgical prognosis. This study is aim to ascertain the clinical characteristics of the EEG patterns, and its relationship with MRI lesions and to evaluate its prognostic value of surgical treatment in symptomatic LGS or LG phenotypes.

Methods: Twenty-four symptomatic LGS cases with asymmetric EEG SSW patterns and contralaterally independent or contralaterally dominant MRI lesions were collected, and their clinical features were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: In this cohort, most of lesions were perinatal or acquired during the first 6 months of life. The most common etiology was intracerebral hemorrhage. The LGS patients with both asymmetric SSW and focal sporadic epileptic waves (SEW) patterns showed the best surgical outcome with Engel class I level. Asymmetric SSW patterns with maximal discharges contralateral to MRI lesions were frequently observed in most of symptomatic LGS or LG phenotypes. Predominantly diffuse destructive lesions led to an attenuated voltage of ipsilateral scalp EEG producing an asymmetric SSW pattern in those patients with symptomatic LGS or LG phenotypes.

Conclusions: Our study reveals a special SEW EEG pattern in symptomatic LG patients with asymmetric SSW and MRI lesions contralateral to the dominant EEG patterns. Contradictory lateralization difference between MRI and EEG probably arises from the relative voltage attenuation presenting in EEG ipsilateral to huge destructive lesions from early life. Our study suggests that the independent focal SEW activity remaining ipsilateral to the MRI lesion can potentially predict better surgical prognosis in symptomatic LGS or LG phenotypes.

Keywords: Asymmetric slow-spike-wave; EEG pattern; Lennox-Gastaut phenotype; Refractory epilepsy; Surgical prognosis; Symptomatic Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.