Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stationarity and Redundancy of Multichannel EEG Data Recorded During Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures

  • Published:
Brain Topography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To improve our understanding of the physiology of generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizures, we have investigated the stationarity and redundancy of 21-electrode EEG data recorded from ten patients during GTC seizures elicited by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Stationarity was examined by calculating probability density functions (pdfs) and power spectra over small equal-length non-overlapping time windows and then by studying, visually and quantitatively, the evolution of these quantities over the duration of the seizures. Our analysis shows that some seizures had no demonstrable stationarity, that most seizures had time intervals of at least a few seconds that were statistically stationary by several criteria, and that, in some seizures, there were leads which were delayed in manifesting the statistical changes associated with seizure onset evident in other leads. The redundancy analysis demonstrated for the first time posterior-to-anterior time delays in the mid-ictal region of GTC seizures. The implications of these findings are discussed for the analysis of GTC seizure EEG data, for the physiology of GTC seizures, and for ECT research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abarbanel, H.D., Brown, R. and Tsimring, L.S. The analysis of observed chaotic data in physical systems. Rev. Mod. Phys., 1993, 65(4): 1331-1392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abrams, R. Seizure generalization and the efficacy of unilateral ECT. Convulsive Therapy, 1991, 7: 213-217.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC. The Practice of ECT: Recommendations for Treatment, Training, and Privileging, 1990.

  • Barlow, J.S. Methods of analysis of nonstationary EEGs, with emphasis on segmentation techniques: A comparative review. J. Clin. Neurophysiology, 1985, 2: 267-304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brumback, R.A. and Station, R.D. The electroencephalographic pattern during electroconvulsive therapy. Clin. Electroenceph., 1982, 13: 148-153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, A.B. and Sances, A. Stationarity of the human electroencephalogram. Med. & Biol. Eng. & Comput., 1977, 15: 513-518.

    Google Scholar 

  • d'Elia, G. Unilateral electroconvulsive therapy. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. Suppl., 1970, 46: 30-97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enderle, J.D., Staton, R.D., Gerst, J.W., Barr, C.E. and Brumback, R.A. The electroencephalographic pattern during electroconvulsive therapy III. Analysis of frontotemporal and nasopharyngeal spectral energy. Clinical Electroencephalography, 1986, 17: 66-77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferber, G. Treatment of some nonstationarities in the EEG. Neuropsychobiology, 1987, 17: 100-104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisch, B.J. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures. In: E. Wyllie, (Ed.), The Treatment of Epilepsy: Principles and Practice, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1996: 502-521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser, A.M. Information and entropy in strange attractors. IEEE Trans. Info. Theory, 1989, 35(2): 245-262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gastaut, H. and Broughton, R. Epileptic Seizures. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, IL., 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gotman, J. Interhemispheric relations during bilateral spike-wave activity. Epilepsia, 1981, 22: 453-466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horel, J.D. Complex principal component analysis: theory and examples. J. Climate and Applied Meteorology, 1984, 23: 1660-1673.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. and Wichern, D.W. Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, third edition, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawabata, N. A nonstationary analysis of the electroencephalogram. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng., 1973, 20: 444-452.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krystal, A.D., Greenside, H.S., Weiner, R.D. and Gassert, D. A comparison of EEG signal dynamics in waking, after anesthesia induction and during ECT seizures. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 1996, 99: 129-140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krystal, A.D., Weiner, R.D., Coffey, C.E., Smith, P., Arias, R. and Moffett, E. EEG evidence of more "intense" seizure activity with bilateral ECT. Biological Psychiatry, 1992, 31: 617-621.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krystal, A.D., Weiner, R.D. and Coffey, C.E. The ictal EEG as a marker of adequate stimulus intensity with unilateral ECT. J. Neuropsychiatry and Clin. Neurophysiol., 1995, 7: 295-303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krystal, A.D., Zaidman, C., Greenside, H.S, Weiner, R.D. and Coffey, C.E. The largest Lyapunov exponent of the EEG during ECT seizures as a measure of ECT seizure adequacy. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 1997, 103: 599-606.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leuchter, A.F., Newton, T.F., Cook, I.A. and Walter, D.O. Changes in brain functional connectivity in alzheimer-type and multi-infarct dementia. Brain, 1992, 115: 1543-1561.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, W. Mutual information functions versus correlation functions. J. Stat. Phys., 1990, 60(5/6): 823-837.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lopes da Silva, F., Pijn, J.P. and Boeijinga, P. Interdependence of EEG signals: linear vs. nonlinear associations and the significance of time delays and phase shifts. Brain Topography, 1989, 2(1/2): 9-18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luders, H., Burgess, R. and Noachtar, S. Expanding the international classification of seizures to provide localization information. Neurology, 1993, 43: 1650-1655.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luders, H., Daube, J., Johnston, J. and Klass, D. Computer analysis of generalized spike-wave complexes. Epilepsia, 1980, 21: 183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mars, N.J.I., Thompson, P.M. and Wilkus, R.J. Spread of epileptic seizure activity in humans. Epilepsia, 1985, 26: 85-94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mars, N.J.I. and van Arragon, G.W. Time delay estimation in nonlinear systems using average amount of mutual information analysis. Signal Processing, 1982, 4: 139-153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayer-Kress, G. Localized measures for nonstationary time-series of physiological data. Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science, 1994, 29(3): 205-210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niedermeyer, E. Epileptic seizure disorders. In: E. Niedermeyer and F. Lopes da Silva, (Eds.), Electroencephalography: Basic Principles, Clinical Applications, and Related Fields, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD, 1993: 461-564.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nobler, M.S., Sackeim, H.A., Solomou, M., Luber, B., Devanand, D.P. and Prudic, J. EEG manifestations during ECT: Effects of electrode placement and stimulus intensity. Biol. Psychiatry, 1993, 34: 321-330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfurtscheller, G. Some results of the analysis of epileptic seizure patterns by correlation-methods. In: H. Petsche and M. Brazier, (Eds.), Synchronization of EEG Activity in Epilepsies, Springer Verlag, New York, 1971: 286-290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pijn, J.P.M., Vijn, P.C.M., Lopes da Silva, F.H., Van Ende Boas, W. and Blanes, W. Localization of epileptogenic foci using a new signal analytic approach. Neurophysiol. Clin., 1990, 20: 1-11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Press, W.H., Teukolsky, S.A., Vetterling, W.T. and Flannery, B.P. Numerical Recipes in C, Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  • Priestley, M.B. Nonlinear and Nonstationary Time Series Analysis. Academic Press, London, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodin, E.A., Gonzales, S., Caldwell, D. and Laginess, D. Photic evoked responses during induced epileptic seizures. Epilepsia, 1966, 7: 202-214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rush, S. and Driscoll, D.A. Current distribution in the brain from surface electrodes. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 1968, 47: 717-723.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sackeim, H.A., Devanand, D.P. and Prudic, J. Stimulus intensity, seizure threshold, and seizure duration: Impact on the efficacy and safety of ECT. Psychiatric Clin. North Am, 1991, 14: 803-843.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sackeim, H.A., Prudic, J., Devanand, D.P., Kiersky, J.E., Fitzsimons, L., Moody, B.J., McElhiney, M.C., Coleman, E.A. and Settembrino, J.M. Effects of stimulus intensity and electrode placement on the efficacy and cognitive side-effects of electroconvulsive therapy. New Eng. J. Med., 1993, 328: 839-846.

    Google Scholar 

  • Small, J.G., Small, I.F., Perez, H.C. and Sharpley, P. Electroencephalographic and neurophysiological studies of electrically induced seizures. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis, 1970, 150: 479-489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staton, R.D., Hass, P.J. and Brumback, R.A. Electroencephalographic recording during bitemporal and unilateral non-dominant hemisphere (Lancaster position) electroconvulsive therapy. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 1981, 42: 264-269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugimoto, H., Ishii, H., Iwata, A. and Suzumura, N. On the stationarity and normality of the electroencephalographic data during sleep stages. Computer Programs in Biomedicine, 1978, 8: 224-234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swartz, C.M. and Larson, G. Generalization of the effects of unilateral and bilateral ECT. Am. J. Psychiatry, 1986, 143: 1040-1041.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swartz, C.M. Generalization, duration, and low-frequency electroencephalographic persistence of bilateral electroconvulsive therapy seizure. Biological Psychiatry, 1995, 38(12): 837-842.

    Google Scholar 

  • The international league against epilepsy. Proposal for revised clinical and electrographic classification of epileptic seizures. Epilepsia, 1981, 22: 489-501.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Quyen, M.L., Martinerie, J., Adam, C. and Varela, F.J. Non-linear analyses of interictal EEG map the brain interdependences in human focal epilepsy. Physica D, 1999, 127: 250-266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, L., Williams, R. and Rush, S. Current density in bilateral and unilateral ECT. Biological Psychiatry, 1976, 11: 303-312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, R.D., Coffey, C.E. and Krystal, A.D. The monitoring and managment of electrically induced seizures. In: C. Kellner, (Ed.), Psychiatric Clinics of North America, W.B. Saunders, New York, 1991, 14: 845-869.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, R.D. and Krystal, A.D. EEG monitoring of ECT seizures. In: C. Edward Coffey, (Ed.), The Clinical Science of Electroconvulsive Therapy, American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC, 1993: 93-109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, R.D. and Krystal, A.D. EEG monitoring of ECT seizures. In: The clinical Science of Electroconvulsive Therapy, American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC, 1993: 93-109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, R.D. and Krystal, A.D. The present use of electroconvulsive therapy. Annual Review of Medicine, 1994, 45: 273-281.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, M., Prado, R. and Krystal, A.D. Evaluation and comparison of EEG traces: Latent structure in nontationary time-series. J. American Stat. Assn., 1999, 94: 375-387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witt, A., Kirths, J. and Pikovsky, A. Testing stationarity in time series. Phys. Rev. E, 1998, 58(2): 1800-1810.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyllie, E. and Luders, H. Classification of seizures. In: E. Wyllie (Ed.), The Treatment of Epilepsy: Principles and Practice, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1996: 355-357.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA

    Scott M. Zoldi

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Andrew Krystal

  3. Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Henry S. Greenside

Authors
  1. Scott M. Zoldi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew Krystal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Henry S. Greenside
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zoldi, S.M., Krystal, A. & Greenside, H.S. Stationarity and Redundancy of Multichannel EEG Data Recorded During Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures. Brain Topogr 12, 187–200 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023489807177

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023489807177

Search

Navigation