Interictal Electroencephaolographic Pattern in A Tertiary Center in Nigeria

The objective of this descriptive study was to determine the interictal electro encephalographic pattern in an adult Neurology clinic in a tertiary care hospital in Enugu, South East Nigeria from February 2012 to February 2021. Standard electroencephalogram (EEG) recording using the international 10/20 system was obtained with scalp electrodes from 519 patients. The mean age of patients who presented to the EEG unit was 36.86 years, with a modal age of 20 years. The majority of patients (50.87%) were above 40 years of age, whereas 49.13% were below 40 years. More males were tested than females. Among 359 documented EEGs, 67.1% were abnormal, with nearly equal proportions of focal (50.2%) and generalized (49.8%) epileptiform discharges. EEG sensitivity in detecting electroencephalographic alteration in clinically suspected epileptic patients in this study was 67.13%. Abnormal readings were more in patients less than 40 years old. Abnormal results were seen more in males 53.53%. This highlights the utility of routine EEG in diagnosis and suggests need for improved access in resource-limited settings.