Video-EEG monitoring of paroxysmal events in the elderly.

OBJECTIVES To determine the importance of video-EEG monitoring (VEM) in elderly patients with various paroxysmal events. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively identified 16 subjects > or = 60 years old out of 834 (1.9%; 7 females, mean age 67.8 +/- 7.7 years), who were admitted to the Video-EEG Unit between 1997 and 2005 and compared data between those with and without epileptic events. RESULTS Epilepsy was confirmed in six patients, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (NES) were diagnosed in seven, one patient had NES and epilepsy whereas the recorded events were non-conclusive in two. NES patients had a higher predisposition to psychiatric disturbances (P<0.02). Following VEM and management alteration, the frequency of monthly events decreased significantly for the cohort as a whole (P<0.001). VEM directly influenced the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of 14 of 16 (88%) patients. CONCLUSION Video-EEM plays a vital role in the evaluation of paroxysmal events in the elderly, but is vastly underutilized in this population group.