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Compared with the healthy population, patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have an increased incidence of epilepsy (2–3% vs. 5–46%, respectively). Studies show a higher risk of autism in patients suffering from specific forms of epilepsy such as infantile spasms and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. EEG abnormalities in subjects with ASD, without epilepsy, are detected with prevalence ranging from 6.7% to 61% and associated with more severe behavioral problems, thus indicating a distinct neuroelectrophysiological signature. The EEG findings include non-epileptiform abnormalities, such as slow activities or asymmetries in background rhythm, and, more frequently, epileptiform abnormalities. Commonly, the epileptiform abnormalities are morphologically classified as follows: spikes or sharp waves, slow waves, generalized wave-spike, or generalized polyspikes. Also, epileptiform abnormalities include interictal...
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Nicotera, A.G. (2020). EEG Abnormalities as a Biomarker of Severity in ASD. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102400-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102400-1
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