Electroencephalographic abnormalities in human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I-associated myelopathy
Y. Yonenaga, K. Arimura, M. Suehara, Y. Arimura and M. Osame
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Thirty-six patients with human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I
(HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy were studied by electroencephalogram.
Twenty-two of 36 patients showed mild to moderate electroencephalographic
abnormalities, ranging from poor organization or slowing of the background
activity to theta bursts and/or spikes. None of these abnormalities were
considered specific for HTLV-I-associated myelopathy. These
electroencephalographic abnormalities had no apparent relationship to
duration or severity of illness, nor to HTLV-I antibody titers in the
cerebrospinal fluid. We document electroencephalographic changes in
HTLV-I-associated myelopathy. Our data are consistent with previous reports
describing the fact that involvement of regions above the spinal cord may
exist in HTLV-I-associated myelopathy.