Abstract
By means of chronological data storage and reverse computation of the human EEG a slow surface negative change (readiness potential: R. P.) preceding voluntary movements has been described.
Ten children with epilepsy, a mentally retarded child and a child with moyamoya disease were studied on voluntary finger movements. R. P. was found in 7 of 10 epileptic children and in the mentally retarded. The R. P. started about 730 ms-4600 ms prior to the onset of voluntary finger movements. It started relatively earlier in the patinets above-mentioned than in normal adults.
The distribution of R. P. was also different from that in normal adults. The maximum ampqitude was observed on the precentral region contralateral to the moving finger, not on the vertex. The earlier onset of R. P. and the low amplitude of R. P. on the vertex may be characteristic of the children with convulsive disorders. R. P. was not demonstrated in 2 children with astatic-myo-clonic epilepsy whose seizures were not controlled.
