Abstract

Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency that, like stroke, requires rapid management to prevent long-term consequences. In recent years, advances have been made in the definition and management of SE, and there is growing recognition of the potential long-term effects of SE in surviving patients, including deterioration in functional status, cognitive impairment, and the development of epilepsy. Recognition of non-convulsive forms of SE requires heightened awareness and the availability of emergency electroencephalography (EEG). Continuous EEG (cEEG) is increasingly used both for the diagnosis of SE and for the assessment of treatment efficacy. However, our understanding of the nature and optimal management of various electrographic findings that lie in the ictal-interictal “grey zone” remains limited. An important development has been the description of radiological correlates of SE in the form of peri-ictal imaging abnormalities, which may in the future help interpret ambiguous EEG findings.