BORDERLANDS OF PETIT MAL

Petit mal is an apparently autonomous clinical entity which in fact has subtle and complex relations to other forms of epilepsy, in particular grand mal and psychomotor attacks. The EEG is of value in elucidating these relationships in rare but interesting presentations of petit mal. There are several psychiatric aspects to the full understanding of petit mal: prolonged 3/second spike and wave discharges may lead to a confusional state known as "petit mal status epilepticus." There are relationships, as yet not fully elucidated, between discharges of petit mal and depression of intellectual function. Petit mal may be self-induced in retarded or disturbed patients. Aberrant EEG aspects of the disease are discussed and avenues now open for future research.