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Alkhachroum A, Appavu B, Egawa S, Foreman B, Gaspard N, Gilmore EJ, Hirsch LJ, Kurtz P, Lambrecq V, Kromm J, Vespa P, Zafar SF, Rohaut B, Claassen J. Electroencephalogram in the intensive care unit: a focused look at acute brain injury. Intensive Care Med 2022; 48:1443-1462. [PMID: 35997792 PMCID: PMC10008537 DOI: 10.1007/s00134-022-06854-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, electroencephalography (EEG) has become a widely applied and highly sophisticated brain monitoring tool in a variety of intensive care unit (ICU) settings. The most common indication for EEG monitoring currently is the management of refractory status epilepticus. In addition, a number of studies have associated frequent seizures, including nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), with worsening secondary brain injury and with worse outcomes. With the widespread utilization of EEG (spot and continuous EEG), rhythmic and periodic patterns that do not fulfill strict seizure criteria have been identified, epidemiologically quantified, and linked to pathophysiological events across a wide spectrum of critical and acute illnesses, including acute brain injury. Increasingly, EEG is not just qualitatively described, but also quantitatively analyzed together with other modalities to generate innovative measurements with possible clinical relevance. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge and emerging applications of EEG in the ICU, including seizure detection, ischemia monitoring, detection of cortical spreading depolarizations, assessment of consciousness and prognostication. We also review some technical aspects and challenges of using EEG in the ICU including the logistics of setting up ICU EEG monitoring in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayham Alkhachroum
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Neurology, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Brian Appavu
- Department of Child Health and Neurology, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Satoshi Egawa
- Neurointensive Care Unit, Department of Neurosurgery, and Stroke and Epilepsy Center, TMG Asaka Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
| | - Brandon Foreman
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Nicolas Gaspard
- Department of Neurology, Erasme Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Emily J Gilmore
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Neurocritical Care and Emergency Neurology, Department of Neurology, Ale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lawrence J Hirsch
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pedro Kurtz
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, D'or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Neurointensive Care, Paulo Niemeyer State Brain Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Virginie Lambrecq
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy Unit, AP-HP, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Julie Kromm
- Departments of Critical Care Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Paul Vespa
- Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Sahar F Zafar
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Rohaut
- Department of Neurology, Sorbonne Université, Pitié-Salpêtrière-AP-HP and Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Jan Claassen
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital, 177 Fort Washington Avenue, MHB 8 Center, Room 300, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Sharma S, Nunes M, Alkhachroum A. Adult Critical Care Electroencephalography Monitoring for Seizures: A Narrative Review. Front Neurol 2022; 13:951286. [PMID: 35911927 PMCID: PMC9334872 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.951286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroencephalography (EEG) is an important and relatively inexpensive tool that allows intensivists to monitor cerebral activity of critically ill patients in real time. Seizure detection in patients with and without acute brain injury is the primary reason to obtain an EEG in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In response to the increased demand of EEG, advances in quantitative EEG (qEEG) created an approach to review large amounts of data instantly. Finally, rapid response EEG is now available to reduce the time to detect electrographic seizures in limited-resource settings. This review article provides a concise overview of the technical aspects of EEG monitoring for seizures, clinical indications for EEG, the various available modalities of EEG, common and challenging EEG patterns, and barriers to EEG monitoring in the ICU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali Sharma
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Michelle Nunes
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Ayham Alkhachroum
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Neurology, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Ayham Alkhachroum
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Fernández-Torre JL, Kaplan PW. Atypical or Typical Triphasic Waves-Is There a Difference? A Review. J Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 38:384-398. [PMID: 34155183 DOI: 10.1097/wnp.0000000000000731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY The entity of triphasic waves (TWs) and TW encephalopathy has derived from the subjective art of EEG interpretation. Indeed, there are few if any guidelines regarding many different aspects of TWs. The authors seek to shed light on the nature and the diagnostic characteristics of various types of TWs, differentiating "typical" from "atypical" forms. The authors conclude that morphologies in the form of bursts of well-formed, smoothly contoured, negative-positive-negative, bilateral, symmetrical and synchronous, regular, reactive, periodic or rhythmic, 1.5 to 2.0 Hz, fronto-central, triphasic complexes with fronto-occipital lag meet the criteria for typical TWs and are highly suggestive of toxic-metabolic encephalopathies. These are most frequently hepatic, uremic, or sepsis-associated encephalopathies with multi-organ failure. In such cases, atypical TWs (frontopolar or parieto-occipital maximum, negative-positive or negative-positive-negative, asymmetric and asynchronous, unreactive, irregular, multifocal, continuous with spatiotemporal evolution, sharper and without fronto-occipital/occipito-frontal lag, or triphasic delta waves) are rarely seen. Atypical TWs are encountered in Angelman syndrome, toxic encephalopathies, hyperthyroidism/hypothyroidism, Hashimoto encephalopathy, nonconvulsive status epilepticus, dementia, sepsis-associated encephalopathy, cerebrovascular disorders, and certain boundary syndromes. Investigations describing TWs with uncommon etiologies revealed few with typical TWs, suggesting that the term "TWs" has been overused in the past. Triphasic waves arise from the interaction of multiple factors including toxic, metabolic, infectious, and structural disorders that affect circuits between thalamus and cortex. The patient's metabolic status, presence of potentially neurotoxic drugs, cerebral atrophy, white matter disease, dementia, or seizures help differentiate typical from typical TWs. Future studies will determine whether this dichotomy is heuristically and clinically helpful.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Fernández-Torre
- Clinical Neurophysiology Department, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Cantabria, Spain; and
| | - Peter W Kaplan
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A
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Abstract
SUMMARY Generalized periodic patterns with triphasic wave morphology, long referred to as triphasic waves [TWs], had been associated with metabolic encephalopathies, although other neurologic and systemic causes have since been identified. In a recent classification of periodic patterns, TWs were formally grouped with the generalized periodic discharges, which are often associated with ictal activity. The interpretation of generalized periodic patterns with TWs as nonictal can have significant implications in the management of comatose patients in nonconvulsive status epilepticus. Electrographic characteristics that help distinguish nonictal periodic patterns with TWs from generalized periodic discharge ictal patterns include (1) TWs in long runs of periodic bilaterally synchronous and symmetric discharges, maximal in frontocentral or posterior head regions with and without a frontal-to-occipital lag or posterior-to-anterior lag, respectively; (2) recurrent spontaneous and/or low-dose benzodiazepine-induced attenuation and/or suppression of the periodic pattern and replacement with a diffuse slow wave activity throughout a prolonged EEG recording; and (3) stimulation-induced activation and/or increase in frequency and/or organization of TWs. We coined the term of status triphasicus to describe the electrographic periodic pattern of TWs with these three distinct characteristics. In this article, we discuss the advantages and limitations of keeping the status triphasicus pattern as a distinct electrographic entity different from periodic ictal generalized periodic discharge patterns. We discuss the circumstances in which a status triphasicus pattern can be associated with ictal activity and propose a simple pragmatic classification of status triphasicus that encompasses the different clinical scenarios it can be associated with.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel M Bicchi
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.; and
- Neurology Services, University of Miami Hospital and Clinics and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Ayham Alkhachroum
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.; and
- Neurology Services, University of Miami Hospital and Clinics and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Andres M Kanner
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.; and
- Neurology Services, University of Miami Hospital and Clinics and Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida, U.S.A
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Rahwan M, Edwards JC. Neuroimaging in Triphasic Waves. J Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 38:410-414. [PMID: 34155179 DOI: 10.1097/wnp.0000000000000778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Triphasic waves can be seen in a wide range of medical conditions, particularly in metabolic encephalopathies. Neuroimaging studies provide valuable diagnostic information for neurological conditions and can also help in our understanding of anatomical substrates for these conditions. Because of practical challenges and the fact that most encephalopathies with triphasic waves are presumed to be metabolic in etiology, large studies of imaging findings associated with triphasic waves are limited. We present a summary of studies that are currently available and a discussion of insights that these studies provide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Rahwan
- Department of Neurology, The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A
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Husari KS, Kaplan PW. Are Triphasic Waves Different From Generalized Spike-Wave Discharges? J Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 38:e20-e23. [PMID: 34009844 DOI: 10.1097/wnp.0000000000000845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Generalized periodic discharges with triphasic morphology were previously referred to as triphasic waves but have now been subsumed into the ACNS classification as generalized periodic discharges. Although triphasic waves and generalized spike-wave complexes may resemble each other and hence may be incorrectly identified in comatose critically ill patients, many authors believe that there are different entities, with definable morphologic and clinical differences attributable to each waveform. The occurrence of both patterns in the same patient is extremely rare with only a single prior case report. Here the authors report a patient with typical triphasic waves and generalized spike-wave complexes and highlight the morphologic and EEG differences between the two patterns. The occurrence of both waveforms in the same EEG recording supports the notion of different cerebral generators and pathways, further differentiating rather than merging these morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalil S Husari
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.; and
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A
| | - Peter W Kaplan
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University; Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.; and
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A
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Abstract
PURPOSE Triphasic waves (TWs) have been associated with a host of medication toxicities, and cefepime has emerged recently as a frequently encountered offending agent. This investigation aims to evaluate cefepime-induced encephalopathy and to report the associated clinical, EEG expression with TWs, and the radiologic findings. METHODS A retrospective multicenter observational study examining adult patients with cefepime-induced encephalopathy with generalized periodic discharges on either routine or continuous EEG between January 2014 and January 2020. Clinical, electrographic, and radiologic data were collected. Patients in whom cefepime was not the sole causative factor for their encephalopathy were excluded. RESULTS Twenty-seven patients with cefepime-induced encephalopathy marked by generalized periodic discharges with triphasic morphology were identified at both centers, whereas no patients were presenting with generalized periodic discharges without TWs. Patients had a median age of 63 years (interquartile range, 56-73). Fifty-six percent of the cohort (15 patients) were <65 years of age. Eighteen patients (67%) had either acute or chronic kidney impairment (either acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease or both), whereas 81% had preexisting white matter disease on brain imaging. Of these, 14 patients (51%) were classified as either moderate or severe. In the majority of the patients, TWs were either state-dependent or stimulus-sensitive, and in one third of them presented only as stimulus-induced pattern. All patients improved with discontinuation of cefepime. CONCLUSIONS Cefepime toxicity should be considered in the differential diagnosis in encephalopathic patients with TWs. The presence of preexisting white matter disease in these patients should heighten the degree of suspicion, especially in younger patients and patients without renal dysfunction.
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Alkhachroum A, Der-Nigoghossian CA, Rubinos C, Claassen J. Markers in Status Epilepticus Prognosis. J Clin Neurophysiol 2020; 37:422-428. [PMID: 32890064 PMCID: PMC7864547 DOI: 10.1097/wnp.0000000000000761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurologic emergency with high morbidity and mortality. The assessment of a patient's prognosis is crucial in making treatment decisions. In this review, we discuss various markers that have been used to prognosticate SE in terms of recurrence, mortality, and functional outcome. These markers include demographic, clinical, electrophysiological, biochemical, and structural data. The heterogeneity of SE etiology and semiology renders development of prognostic markers challenging. Currently, prognostication in SE is limited to a few clinical scores. Future research should integrate clinical, genetic and epigenetic, metabolic, inflammatory, and structural biomarkers into prognostication models to approach "personalized medicine" in prognostication of outcomes after SE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayham Alkhachroum
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Clio Rubinos
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan Claassen
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Hartshorn JA, Foreman B. Generalized periodic discharges with triphasic morphology. JOURNAL OF NEUROCRITICAL CARE 2019. [DOI: 10.18700/jnc.190079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
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Reply to. J Clin Neurophysiol 2019; 36:174. [DOI: 10.1097/wnp.0000000000000553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Sinkin MV, Krylov VV. Rhythmic and periodic EEG patterns. Classification and clinical significance. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2018; 118:9-20. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro20181181029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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