Abstract
The scalp EEGs of nineteen “acerebrate” children were investigated. Ten of them were dead and autopsied.
The “acerebrate” state denotes an extensive destruction in the developing brain with no or little development in mental and motor functions.
Neuropathologically extensive lesions were common in the cerebral cortex, white matter and the specific nuclei of the thalamus.
The results of investigation are summarized as follows:
1) The background activities showed diffuse slow dysrhythmia. In the cases which showed a flat pattern in background activities, markedly affected lesions were observed in the cerebral hemisphere by postmorten examination.
2) By sleep studies, almost all cases failed to show specific sleep patterns like humps and spindle activities. In some cases, there were no differences in the background activities between the waking and sleeping periods. These facts suggest the presence of some abnormalities in the mechanism of sleep.
3) Rhythmic fast activities induced by drugs were also absent in many cases.
4) Abnormal paroxysmal activities were observed in several cortical areas as multiple foci. These may represent the extensive lesions of the cerebral hemisphere.
5) During the long term observations, the back ground activities showed some deterioration in rhythm and frequency. This suggests that the lesions may have extended progressively.
