CLINICAL AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FEBRILE SEIZURES IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Febrile seizures are generalized seizures, usually in children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. Despite the relatively favorable prognosis, FS often causes significant anxiety among parents and may be associated with the risk of developing epilepsy later. The purpose of this study was to study the clinical and neurophysiological features of FS in children and identify predictors of the risk of their complicated course. The study included 214 children aged 6 months to 6 years who were observed at the neurology clinic. Special attention should be paid to the group of children who have epileptiform changes, such as acute waves and peak-wave complexes. Such findings were reported in 28 children (13.1%), mainly among patients with complex forms of febrile seizures. This result highlights the importance of EEG examination as a method for early risk stratification of epilepsy. Thus, the results of our study allow us to identify three key risk factors for the complicated course of FS: the presence of complex forms of seizures, epileptiform activity on the EEG and familial burden of epilepsy.