Cardiac Activity During Epileptic Seizures

In spite of the considerable attention which has been devoted to the effect of epilepsy on the cerebral circulation, relatively little serious study with the methods of mechanical recording at present available has been made of the general circulation during an attack. It is particularly desirable to have concrete evidence as to the state of the peripheral circulation during a seizure so as to interpret the local vascular changes observed in the brain. Gowers 1 in 1888 stated: The pulse may be feeble at the onset but I have never noted an initial failing, although I have several times had my finger on the pulse when the fit came on. On the other hand, Russell 2 in 1906 from digital palpation reported cessation of the pulse during the onset of the epileptic fit. Munson 3 in 1908 in 10 cases and Gibson, Good and Penny 4 in 1910 in 2