Comparison diazepam-electroencephalography with midazolam-electroencephalography in patients of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis

VABSTRACTCOMPARISON DIAZEPAM-ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY WITHMIDAZOLAM- ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS OF SUBACUTESCLEROSING PANENCEPHALITISDr. Derya AYDIN SAHINResidency thesis, Department of PediatricsSupervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kutluhan YILMAZApril 2007, 79 PagesElectroencephalography (EEG) is of very significant contribution to the diagnosis ofSubacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE). Although diazepam could increase thesensitivity of EEG in SSPE, there is no report being focused on the effects of diazepam orany other drug onto EEG in SSPE. Herein, our aim is to elucidate possible effects ofdiazepam and midazolam onto EEG and whether they could substitute for each other inSSPE.Nineteen (7.67± 3.05 year; 17 M, 2 F) patients with SSPE who has been followed-up inour Department of Pediatric Neurology were included. The mean age of SSPE-onset was7.06 (±2.98) year. The history of primary measles infection was positive in 16 patients(2.07±2.66 year) and 9 of them had been infected in the first year of age. Of 19 patients, 16had been vaccinated of measles, and 14 of them had history of primary measles infection.Regarding the EEG findings, in 12 patients, typical EEG finding with paroxysms wasdetected; wlile in 3, with no specific finding; and in 4 with atypical findings withparoxysms. Neither diazepam nor midazolam yield any changes in EEGs of in the caseswith typical EEG and the ones with no specific finding. As for the cases with atypical EEG,sharp-waves, which were detected in the paroxysms in a case and in the interparoxysmalperiods in 3 cases, were supressed or significantly decreased in number respectively byboth diazepam and midazolam.The effects of midazolam on EEG were similar to those of diazepam in our patientswith SSPE, which suggests that EEG with midazolam could be substituted for EEG withdiazepam in SSPE.Keywords: Diazepam, Electroencephalography, Midazolam, Subacute sclerosingpanencephalitis.