Intermediate
Technical
In the Industry Vocabulary Test
interictal
Pronunciation: in-ter-ICK-tal
The period between seizures when brain activity appears normal on EEG monitoring.
Full Definition
Interictal describes the time intervals between seizure episodes when a patient with epilepsy is not actively seizing. During interictal periods, EEG recordings may still show abnormal electrical discharges or spikes that indicate underlying epileptic activity, even though clinical symptoms are absent. In pediatric neurology, interictal EEG findings are crucial for diagnosing epilepsy syndromes and determining appropriate treatment strategies. The presence of interictal epileptiform discharges can help localize seizure foci and guide surgical planning when indicated.
In Context
- "Interictal EEG showed frequent spike-and-wave discharges over the left temporal region." — EEG report
- "The patient's interictal behavior was completely normal despite active epilepsy." — Clinical progress note
Also known as
inter-seizure period
between seizures
Contrasted with
ictal
postictal
preictal
Don't confuse with
postictal
preictal