Silent Hippocampal Seizures and Spikes Identified by Foramen Ovale Electrodes in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

We directly assessed mesial temporal activity in two Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients without a history or EEG evidence of seizures, using intracranial foramen ovale electrodes. We detected clinically silent hippocampal seizures and epileptiform spikes during sleep, a period when both were most likely to interfere with memory consolidation. These index cases support a model in which early development of occult hippocampal hyperexcitability may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD.