PETIT MAL STATUS IN EARLY-CHILDHOOD AND DEMENTIA

The course of 117 children with so-called centrencephalic myoclonic-astatic petit mal was evaluated with regard to the question of whether petit mal status can be the cause of dementia which is frequently seen in these patients. A dementia is found significantly more frequently in patients with petit mal status. With regard to the animal experimental studies of others, it seems possible that the prolonged generalized hypersynchronous discharges of the petit mal status lead to a serious disturbance of the neuronal energy metabolism and thus to cerebral damages or disturbances of the brain development.