AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY OF CASES WITH SYNCOPE AND RELATED DISORDERS
SIDNEY LEVIN M. D.1,
JEROME KATZ M. D.1, , and
MILTON GREENBLATT M. D.1
1 The Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and the Electroencephalographic Laboratory, Boston Psychopathic Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
In a study of the EEGs (between attacks) of a selected group of 229 patients subject to "fainting spells" and "dizzy spells" the following observations were made:
1. In patients subject to typical "fainting spells," the incidence of EEG. abnormality (11 percent) was as low as one finds in normal controls.
Patients subject to "dizzy spells" had an even lower incidence of EEG. abnormality (4 percent).
Patients subject to "fainting spells accompanied by rigidity" had a considerably higher incidence of EEG. abnormality (45 percent), suggesting that of the three groups this was the only one in which a significant number of the group might belong to the epileptic category.
2. There was no correlation between EEG. abnormality and frequency, duration and number of spells. It appears that repeated syncopal attacks do not produce EEG. abnormality.
3. Within the total group of 229 cases there were only two patients whose EEGs showed typical 3 per second spike and wave discharges (petit mal waves).
