Theta Bursts, Closed Head Injury, and Partial Seizure-Like Symptoms: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective, chart-review study was to provide additional information on the clinical correlates of paroxysmal theta activity on EEG and to further examine the previously proposed relation (Varney, Hines, Bailey, & Roberts, 1992) between episodic symptoms in the context of prior closed-head injury and theta bursts. All participants were veterans receiving their health care at a single, tertiary-care, Veterans Affairs medical center. Compared with patients with normal EEGs (comparison group, n = 30) and nonparoxysmal theta-delta slowing (comparison group, n = 30), consecutive patients with theta bursts (n = 38) were found to have significantly more episodic (i.e., partial seizure-like) symptoms documented in their medical records. History of closed-head trauma was also associated with increased reporting of episodic symptoms across all three clinical groups. These findings suggest that, in the presence of theta bursts on EEG, clinicians may wish to interview systematically for episodic, partial seizure-like phenomena, especially when paroxysmal theta activity occurs in the context of prior closed head injury.