Dissociation : Volume 10, No. 2 (June 1997)

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Dissociation : Volume 10, No. 2, p. 120-124 : Frequency of EEG abnormalities in a large dissociative population
(Ridgeview Institute and the International Society for the Study of Dissociation, 1997-06) Braun, Bennett G.; Schwartz, David R.; Kravitz, Howard M.; Waxman, Jordan
A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine the frequency of electroencephalographic abnormalities, particularly those suggesting temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), among patients with dissociative disorders. Electroencephalograms (EEGs) from 160 inpatients with dissociative disorders who were treated at either of two sites specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of dissociative disorders were reviewed. EEGs were categorized as normal, possible drug effect, or abnormal. Overall, 7.5 % of patients had EEGs that were interpreted as abnormal but only two (1 .25%) of the entire sample had findings that suggested TLE. The two sites differed significantly in the percentage read as abnormal (30.9% versus 10.5%; X2=19.4, df=2, p< .0001). According to these results, a small minority of patients with dissociative disorders have non-specific EEG abnormalities as well as more specific temporal lobe dysrhythmias. However, the population and context in which the dissociation-epilepsy association is explored will influence the outcome of any attempt to resolve the question regarding the relationship.