Thalamocortical Relationships in Generalized Epilepsy with Bilaterally Synchronous Spike-and-Wave Discharge

One of the most dramatic patterns seen in clinical electroencephalography is generalized spike-and-wave (SW) discharge occurring during a clinical absence attack, which makes attractive the hypothesis that some central pacemaker located in the depths of the brain and projecting diffusely to the cortex was responsible for the origin of SW discharges.

Abstract

One of the most dramatic patterns seen in clinical electroencephalography is generalized spike-and-wave (SW) discharge occurring during a clinical absence attack (see Fig. 14.2A). The abrupt onset and cessation of generalized, bilaterally synchronous, 3 cps SW discharge emerging from a normal cortical EEG background activity has always made attractive the hypothesis that some central pacemaker located in the depths of the brain and projecting diffusely to the cortex was responsible for the origin of SW discharges (Jasper and Kershman, 1941; Penfield and Jasper, 1946, 1954); see also review in Gloor, 1978).