The Development of the Electroencephalogram in Normal Children from the Age of 1 Through 15 Years – Paroxysmal activity

Abstract

In cases of 1 through 15 year-old normal children the occurrence of paroxysmal activity with the exception of the 14 and 6 Hz positive spike phenomenon was studied. The children were considered normal as a result of 1: strict selection after thorough penetration of obstetric history, mental and physical development, diseases and injuries involving the CNS, and past and present behavior so as to exclude neurological and physical disorders; 2: physical examination to exclude actual somatic and neurological aberrations, and at the same time 3: routine observation to reveal overt psycho-pathology. The material comprised 743 children with successful records at rest. Hyperventilation was performed with 82.6 per cent; intermittent photic stimulation with 81.4 per cent; and sleep, either spontaneous or barbiturate-induced, with 80.5 per cent of the children.