This week's highlight is Epilepsy Eyelid Myoclonia (EEA) know as Jeavon’s Syndrome.
Technologists may come across this rare and interesting form of epilepsy and it’s essential to know the triggers and underlying signs to best help your patients in the lab.
Bright lights along with flashing lights are strong triggers for these patients - being aware of the symptoms ahead of photic stimulation is essential.
As with all studies - stopping the photic strobe light after properly identifying an abnormality is important. Continuing to run the photic stimulation could cause a convulsive seizure.
Often just a change in light (eyes open/eyes closed) can trigger electrographic changes. Recording a 3-5 minute baseline for your routine studies before beginning activation procedures will help you become aware of your patient’s condition.
Of course, eye opening and closing at the start of our routine studies is useful in assessing the patient posterior dominant rhythm; however, in these patients it will also assist in identifying this possible condition.
The change in light from just closing their eyes will often elicit bursts of generalized spike and wave discharges:
Possible clinical seizures can often be elicited since frequently these patients will flutter their eyes with eye closure:
The age of onset for Jeavon’s syndrome will be in childhood (1-15 years of age); often with the peak of onset being in the early elementary ages (6-8 years).
Treatment with anti-epileptic medications is often very effective and similar to other generalized epilepsies Depakote and Keppra can often minimize these symptoms.
Occasionally patients with hard to control epilepsy can also be encouraged to wear sunglasses or a hat when outside to minimize the light variations.
There is an interesting sub-type of Jeavon’s Syndrome that is termed Sunflower Syndrome - these patient’s cause self-induced seizures by waving their hand in front of their face to trigger the seizures.
For more information on Sunflower Syndrome please click here to read one of our earlier Deep Dive posts.
For more information on other interesting Epilepsy syndromes and their EEG please select here to subscribe to our blog to not miss a post!
Roya Tompkins, MS, REEG/EP T, RPSGT
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