Encephalopathic EEG Patterns

Encephalopathy is described clinically as an alteration in the generalized attention, cognition, or consciousness. It is a form of diffuse cerebral dysfunction with varying severities. The acute form of encephalopathy can range from mild confusion and delirium to coma. In the more chronic, slowly progressive, or static conditions of encephalopathy, there may be retention of the attention initially with loss of cognitive capacity.Electroencephalography (EEG) is useful in evaluating patients with acute and chronic encephalopathies. The primary role is in differentiating the conditions associated with seizures. The various patterns detected with an EEG in encephalopathies are sensitive but usually not specific to a particular etiology. It is typically associated with a slowing of the cerebral activity and diffuse slow waveforms in the background. This could be secondary to the involvement of both the cortical neurons or the subcortical white matter dysfunction. Overall, EEG is useful for assessing the degree of cerebral dysfunction in encephalopathy and monitoring the changes along with clinical progression.