14 and 6 CPS Positive EEG Spikes in a Family

In 1951, Gibbs and Gibbs,¹ reporting on a study of 5,000 epileptics, described an abnormal electroencephalogram which occurred during sleep in 6% of their patients. Characteristically, the aberrant record consisted of abnormal spike activity, with a rate either of 14 or 6 spikes per second, the highest voltage usually occurring in the occipital and temporal areas. Since then, there have been numerous reports of this abnormality in the literature. A variety of symptoms has been described in these patients, including behavior disorders, autonomic dysfunctioning, headache, dizziness, and various epileptiform disorders. Kellaway et al² found a history of head injury or encephalitis in a significant number (37% of 459 patients), and Hughes et al³ found that 40% of their 115 patients had a history of postnatal head injury. Walter et al⁴ found a correlation with "aggressive behavior," and Garneski⁵ found a high