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Review
. 2021 Sep 1;38(5):399-409.
doi: 10.1097/WNP.0000000000000809.

Triphasic Waves: Historical Overview of an Unresolved Mystery

José L Fernández-Torre  1   2 , Peter W Kaplan  3
Affiliations
Review

Triphasic Waves: Historical Overview of an Unresolved Mystery

José L Fernández-Torre et al. J Clin Neurophysiol. .

Abstract

Triphasic waves are a fascinating and mysterious EEG feature. We now have to accept that, at times, epileptiform discharges may have a blunted "triphasic morphology," and that there may be great difficulty in distinguishing between these often similar forms. The aim of this review was to describe the evolution in our understanding of triphasic waves that has occurred regarding the pathophysiology of triphasic waves, their most frequent causes, and the diagnostic difficulties involved in interpretation and differentiation from nonconvulsive status epilepticus.

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Conflict of interest statement

P. W. Kaplan has consulted with Ceribel, served on the boards of the ACNS and ABCN, and received royalties from Demos and Wiley-Blackwell. The remaining author has no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose.

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