Paroxysmal slow wave events as a diagnostic biomarker for epilepsy: Lessons from rural Zambia.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Epilepsy affects more than 50 million people globally, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bearing the greatest burden due to limited medical resources and stigma. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a cost-effective diagnostic tool, but its interpretation often requires unavailable expertise in rural areas. There is a pressing need for reliable, quantitative EEG biomarkers to enhance diagnosis, guide imaging, and monitor treatment.

Methods

We investigated paroxysmal slow wave events (PSWEs), transient markers of cortical network slowing, in scalp EEG recordings from epilepsy patients at the Kakumbi Rural Health Center in Zambia (n = 127) and from Bonn Epilepsy Center (n = 132). PSWE characteristics, including occurrence, duration, and spatial distribution, w

SUBMITTER: Malunga A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12779313 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature