Periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges in infants and children.

Clinical and electroencephalographic data on 7 infants and children with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDS) in their electroencephalograms were reviewed. The waveform, periodicity, and transitory nature of these discharges were similar to those reported in adults. In children, as in adults, PLEDs reflect severe underlying brain dysfunction which is often associated with metabolic and structural abnormalities. In adults, PLEDs are usually associated with altered states of consciousness and with acute unilateral cerebral lesions; in children, however, they often occur with little or no alteration in consciousness and with chronic, diffuse lesions of the central nervous system.