Prevalence of Electroencephalographic Abnormalities in Idiopathic Precocious Puberty and Premature Pubarche: Bearing on Pathogenesis and Neuroendocrine Regulation of Puberty1

Abstract

Electroencephalographic tracings of 42 children (39 girls, 3 boys) with idiopathic precocious puberty were analyzed. A significantly high proportion (81%) of these tracings were clearly abnormal. A specific or diagnostic electroencephalographicpattern was not found; however, the frequency of seizure disorders was increased. Of 23 children (18 girls, 5 boys) with precocious puberty and an associated neurologic disorder, 22 had abnormal electroencephalograms. Five of 10 children with premature pubarche had abnormal electroencephalograms and 4 of these 5 had gross evidence of brain damage. Current concepts of the neuroendocrine control of puberty are reviewed, and a relationship is postulated between idiopathic precocious puberty and premature pubarche and undefined organic or functional lesions of the central nervous system which directly or indirectly affect the hypothalamicpituitary-gonadal mechanism. A family history of sexual precocity was elicited in less than 10% of the children with idiopathic precocious puberty. It appears that on the basis of present knowledge the term “constitutional,” implying that genetic determinants of puberty are largely responsible for the early onset of sexual maturation, is applicable to only a small proportion of the idiopathic group.