Reflex anoxic seizure (ECG and EEG)

A classic illustration of the ECG and EEG during a reflex anoxic seizure published by the Gastauts in 1958 (Gastaut and Gastaut 1958). The original description given was: “Example of ischemic convulsion by cardio-inhibition: A 6 sec ocular compression has induced a cardiac and respiratory arrest of same duration with a latency of 4 sec and 1 sec respectively. The respiratory arrest is much too short to have any effect; contrariwise, the cardiac arrest is sufficient to cause the appearance on the EEG of a burst of relatively slow waves (4 c/sec) maximum posteriorly. The record returns to a normal pattern for 30 sec, after which there occurs a new delayed cardiorespiratory inhibition of 18 sec duration. This prolonged cardiac arrest obviously induces the complete picture of a white convulsive syncope: pallor, loss of consciousness, fall a triple jerk followed by a tonic spasm in opisthotonus; burst of slow waves (from 3 to 1 c/sec interrupted by a brief episode of electrical silence that corresponds to the tonic spasm and to the recovery of cardiac and respiratory rhythm). The respiratory arrest is still too short to modify in any way the pure ischemic symptomatology.” (Contributed by Dr. Colin Ferrie.)