1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-17-78-a 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-17-10-6 Attention Deficit and Comorbid Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Frequency of Rolandic Spikes in ADHD http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 10 2003 01 03 2016 17 10 78 78 Copyright: © 2003 The Author(s) 2003 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Increased frequency of rolandic spikes in ADHD children

The frequency of rolandic spikes in nonepileptic children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was compared with a control group of normal school-aged children in a study at the University of Frankfurt, Germany.

 Rolandic Spikes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Hyperactive-Impulsive Symptoms

The frequency of rolandic spikes in nonepileptic children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was compared with a control group of normal school-aged children in a study at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. The EEGs of 483 ADHD outpatients between 2 and 16 years evaluated prospectively showed rolandic spikes in 27 (5.6%); (23 boys and 5 girls, mean age 7.9 years). Seizures during follow-up occurred in 1 (3.7%) of the 27 patients with ADHD plus rolandic spikes, and none of the 456 ADHD children without rolandic spikes. Sex ratio and global functioning were similar in ADHD patients with and without spikes. ADHD children with spikes presented earlier and exhibited more hyperactive-impulsive symptoms than those without spikes. ADHD-combined type was more common than ADHD inattentive type in children with rolandic spikes. One third of the patients in both groups had comorbid conduct or oppositional defiant disorder. [1]

COMMENT. Approximately one in 20 children with ADHD have rolandic spikes in the EEG, and boys out number girls by 4:1. The authors recommend EEG recordings in ADHD patients with cognitive and behavioral problems, even without clinical seizures or family history of epilepsy. Stimulant therapy in conservative doses may be safe in children with ADHD and well-controlled epilepsy. Further study is required to determine if AED treatment is justified in ADHD patients with rolandic spikes but without seizures.

Holtmann M Becker K Kentner-Figura B Schmidt MH Increased frequency of rolandic spikes in ADHD children Epilepsia 2003 Sep 44 9 1241 1244 10.1046/j.1528-1157.2003.13403.x 12919398