EEG of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS)

This 10-second segment shows the typical sharp waves of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS). They are markedly more frequent in sleep (stages I and II here) than in wakefulness. The morphology is typical with a duration of almost 200 ms and a high amplitude aftergoing slow wave (as high as the sharp wave). The distribution is centro-temporal, and as in this example the sharp waves are often bilateral and independent. The dipole with frontal positivity is also typical and would be best shown on a referential montage.