Sex influences the frequency of the posterior basic alpha rhythm in patients with epilepsy

OBJECTIVE: To determine effects of sex, epilepsy and epilepsy medication on the posterior basic alpha rhythm. METHODS: We reviewed the routine EEGs of 160 subjects, including 60 individuals with focal epilepsy, 60 with generalized epilepsy, and 40 healthy controls, measured the mean alpha frequencies of each person and applied a univariate three-factorial analysis of variance. RESULTS: Women have a significantly faster posterior basic rhythm as compared to men. Sex was the only independent factor influencing the posterior basic rhythm in this cohort. Additionally, we detected an interaction with intake of lamotrigine and idiopathic generalized epilepsy both increasing the basic alpha frequency in the group of female subjects only. CONCLUSION: Sex was the main determinant of the posterior basic alpha frequency in our cohort. SIGNIFICANCE: Sex can influence the frequency of the posterior basic alpha rhythm.