Electroencephalographic patterns of the temporal region in normal adults

A RECURRENT PROBLEM in the initial evaluation of the patient suspected of having intracranial disease is that of relevance of atypical electrical discharges arising over temporal regions to the disease process in question. Since the studies of Bussel and Silverman? and associates and Obrist and Henry,3 it has been recognized that unilateral or shifting temporal “foci” are much more common in nonneurologically impaired elderly subjects than had been previously supposed. This finding raises a question as to their frequency in normal young and middle-aged adults. The question is fundamental in respect to interpretation of the electroencephalogram, inasmuch as clinical experience indicates that electrographic abnormalities are detected more often over temporal than other cerebral region^.^-^ Not withstanding the major emphasis that has been placed upon electrographic findings for detection of functional disturbances of the temporal lobe in recent years, systematic normative data have not been generally available. This study was undertaken to provide information about incidence, form, and laterality of transient temporal discharges in adults below 60 years of age. The findings have been related to level of alertness of the subject, handedness, other characteristics of the electroencephalographic tracing, and potentially important medical findings.