Psychiatria pre prax 2–3/2010

Olanzapine treatment and standard EEG

Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug. Treatment with atypical antipsychotics, but also with older antipsychotics, is associated with risk of epileptic seizures or EEG abnormalities. For example treatment with clozapine is associated with unusually high incidence of EEG abnormalities. The aim of our study was to follow EEG changes in the treatment with olanzapine. In a group of 76 patients (18 – 79 y; 29 women, 47 men) were rutine awake EEG recordings performed. EEGs were classified as normal (39 recordings; 51,3 %), others as abnormal or pathologic. They were: 1. Records with slow waves – 27 records (35,5 %); 2. Paroxysmal bilateral hypersynchrony – 5 records (6,6 %); Spikes/sharp waves – 5 records (6,6 %). Results are discussed and compared with our previous results obtained in a group of patients treated with clozapine.

Keywords: schizophrenia, olanzapine, changes in EEG, epileptiform activity.