Abstract

To compare the diagnostic utility of electroencephalography (EEG) using reduced, 8-channel montage (rm-EEG) to full, 18-channel montage (fm-EEG) for detection of generalized or hemispheric seizures and rhythmic periodic patterns (RPPs) by neurologists with extensive EEG training, neurology residents with minimal EEG exposure, and medical students without EEG experience.We presented EEG samples in both fm-EEG (bipolar montage) and rm-EEG (lateral leads of bipolar montage) to 20 neurologists, 20 residents, and 42 medical students. Unanimous agreement of three senior epileptologists defined samples as seizures (n?=?7), RPPs (n?=?10), and normal or slowing (n?=?20). Differences in median accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.Full and reduced EEG demonstrated similar accuracy when read by neurologists (fm-EEG: 95%, rm-EEG: 95%, p?=?0.29), residents (fm-EEG: 80%, rm-EEG: 80%, p?=?0.05), and students (fm-EEG: 60%, rm-EEG: 51%, p?=?0.68). Moreover, neurologists' sensitivity for detecting seizure activity was comparable between fm-EEG (100%) and rm-EEG (98%) (p?=?0.17). Furthermore, the specificity of rm-EEG for seizures and RPP (neurologists: 100%, residents: 90%, students: 86%) was significantly greater than that of fm-EEG (neurologists: 93%, p?=?0.03; residents: 80%, p?=?0.01; students: 69%, p?

View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cnp.2018.03.001

View details for PubMedID 30215011

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6133909