Objectives:

The aetiology and electroencephalography (EEG) signs in the diagnosis of epilepsy in patients who experienced their first ever seizure at the age of 60 years and older were evaluated in this study.

Patients and Methods:

The EEGs, and other medical records of 146 patients, aged 60 years and older (67 females, 79 males; mean age 68,6±6,2; range: 60 to 90 years), were examined. Age-matched 40 patients (18 females, 22 males; mean age 68.6±6; range 60 to 81 years) without seizure history, whom EEGs performed for various reasons other than seizure were chosen as the control group.

Results:

In the patients, with new-partial-onset seizure, focal epileptic abnormality (27%) and focal slowing (40%) in the EEGs were significantly more than the control group. Although these signs had a high specificity, they had low sensitivity and low diagnostic value.

Conclusion:

It is unnecessary to use routine EEG in the diagnosis and classification of the epileptic syndromes in patients with new onset seizure at age 60 years and more, because of the low diagnostic value of the EEG abnormalities in the routine EEGs of these patients. If the detailed history is not enough or unobtainable in older patients with suspected seizures, video-EEG monitoring should be preferred.

Keywords: Aged, cerebrovascular disorders/complications, epilepsy/classification /diagnosis/etiology, electroencephalography, seizures/etiology