ObjectiveTo investigate the video-electroencephalography (VEEG) characteristics of old patients with epilepsy (OPWE). MethodsBetween June 2013 and July 2014, 57 OPWE at an age over 60 years were assigned to research group and 65 adults between 16 and 60 years old with epilepsy were regarded as controls. All the subjects underwent VEEG for 24 hours covering awake state and sleep with hyperventilation test being applied. Chi square was used to compare occurrence rate of epileptic wave and abnormal response rate after hyperventilation between the two groups of patients. Additionally, ictal elcetroencephalograph (EEG) was analyzed. ResultsCommon features of waves on EEG for patients in both the two groups during the ictal period included widespread low amplitude fast wave (2 cases in the research group, 7.4%; 4 cases in the control group, 12.5%), focal low amplitude fast wave (5 cases in the research group, 18.5%; 6 cases in the control group, 18.8%), widespread spike or spike slowing complex (3 cases in the research group, 11.1%; 7 case in the control group, 21.8%), focal spike or spike slowing complex (5 cases in the research group, 14.9%; 8 cases in the control group, 25.0%), and focal rhythmic slow wave (6 cases in the research group, 18.5%; 6 cases in the control group, 18.8%). In the research group, there were two following cases:single abnormal background activity in 5 cases (18.5%), and neither abnormal background activity nor epileptic discharge in 1 case (3.7%). Ictal focal epileptic discharges were found in 16 cases in the research group and 8 in the control group (59.3% vs 25.0%), with statistical difference (P<0.05). Inter-ictal epilepsy discharges were found in 57 patients of the research group (awake, 15.8%; sleep, 52.6%), which was less than that in the control group (awake, 46.2%; sleep, 83.1%) with statistical difference (P<0.05), accompanied by focal slow wave (temporal intermittent rhythmic delta activity, TIRDA) in 9 cases. In natural sleep period, epilepsy discharge occurrences increased (65.3%). Abnormal response rate in the research group (14.0%) was lower than that in the control group (64.6%) with statistical difference (P<0.05). ConclusionEarly onset EEG of the old and the adult are similar except those with single abnormal background activity and those with neither abnormal background activity nor epileptic discharge. Focal onset on EEG is more frequently seen in OPWE than in APWE. In natural sleep, epileptic discharge increases among OPWE, and abnormal response during hyperventilation is less likely to happen in OPWE.