The significance of frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity in children

Objective: To determine the correlation between frontal intermittent rhythmic delta activity (FIRDA) and the clinical and radiological correlates in children. Methods: Retrospective review of the EEG and imaging studies of 37 children with documented FIRDA. Results: FIRDA was associated with multiple neurological conditions and not necessarily with midline lesions. Patients with abnormal neurological exam had a longer FIRDA duration (average 9.5 seconds) compared to children with no reported abnormal examination (average of 6.5 seconds). FIRDA ranged from 2 to 2.5 Hz (n=15), 3 Hz (n=17) and from 1.5 to 3 Hz (n=5) and there was a significant association between the duration of FIRDA and abnormal laboratory tests (p. < 0.05, Student's T test). Conclusion: FIRDA was not correlated with midline brain lesions in children. FIRDA may be a non specific oscillation of an unhealthy pediatric brain with or without seizures.