Abstracts

Rationale: Benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS) is a common disorder that can have a varied presentation and clinical course. The aim of this study was to investigate the practice patterns of pediatric neurologists in the evaluation of children with BECTS. Methods: 252 members of the Child Neurology Society responded to an email invitation to participate in a web-based survey regarding the evaluation and treatment of BECTS. The survey contained general questions regarding BECTS and a brief vignette that portrayed a 9 year old male with new onset partial seizures and a waking EEG that showed left centro-temporal sharp activity that could be consistent with BECTS. Results: In response to a general question, approximately 34% of child neurologists indicated that EEG results always or frequently influenced their treatment decisions in children with BECTS; 43% indicated that the EEG results rarely or never influenced their treatment decisions. Approximately 75% of child neurologists indicated that they always or frequently obtain a sleep deprived EEG once the diagnosis has been made. With regards to imaging, 39% of respondents indicated that they always or frequently obtain an MRI scan of the brain, while one-third rarely or never obtain an MRI after making a diagnosis of BECTS. In response to the vignette, 54% of child neurologists indicated that they would obtain a sleep-deprived EEG and 54% would obtain an MRI scan of the brain. Conclusions: The responses to the survey indicate a diversity of opinion among child neurologists with regards to the evaluation of children with BECTS.