Apneic seizures in the newborn
K. Watanabe, K. Hara, S. Miyazaki, S. Hakamada and M. Kuroyanagi
Electroclinical features of convulsive apnea and its relation to the
behavioral state were described on the basis of polygraphic recordings from
21 newborns with various underlying disorders, including perinatal anoxia,
purulent meningitis, and intracranial bleeding. The most frequent ictal
discharges were rhythmic alpha waves, but other types of discharges, such
as repeated sharp waves, rhythmic theta waves, delta waves, and repeated
paroxysmal wave complexes, were also frequently seen. The area where the
ictal discharges initially occurred or were most prominent was the temporal
area, suggesting the limbic origin of apneic seizures. In more than half of
the cases, the sleep cycle was abolished. In those cases where the sleep
cycle was preserved, the seizures occurred most frequently in active sleep,
but never in quiet sleep.
