[P3-1] The Electroencephalographic Abnormalities in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood with the characterized symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. However, the role of electroencephalography in children with ADHD is still controversial. We conducted a prospective study to explore the clinical significance of epileptiform discharges in children with ADHD. We enrolled all ADHD children who visited the early intervention clinic or pediatric neurology clinic at Cathay General Hospital between January, 2014 and June, 2016. We excluded patients with history of intellectual disabilities, epilepsy and congenital anomalies. All ADHD patients met the DSM-V criteria and underwent the awake and sleep electroencephalography examination. No patient had seizure history before the examination. Total 113 patients diagnosed as ADHD were included. 86 patients were male and 27 patients were female. The mean age of these patients was 6.6±2.6 years. Twenty five patients (22%) disclosed electroencephalographic abnormalities. Of these, 3 (12%) had generalized epileptiform discharges and 22 (88%) had focal epileptiform discharges. The focal epileptiform discharges were most prevalent from the rolandic area (12/25) and frontal area (5/25), followed by parietal area (4/25) and occipital region (1/25). In particular, 12(48%) of these 25 patients had abnormal electroencephalographic findings only during sleep recordings. The electroencephalographic abnormalities were found in 22% of ADHD patients and 48% of the electroencephalographic abnormalities appeared only during sleep recording. We concluded a sleep and awake electroencephalography examination should be part of the assessment in children with ADHD, regardless lack of overt seizures or other neurological conditions.