Combined myoclonic-astatic and "benign" focal epilepsy of childhood ("atypical benign partial epilepsy of childhood"). A separate syndrome?

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Serval ID
serval:BIB_8A46EE38A44D
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Combined myoclonic-astatic and "benign" focal epilepsy of childhood ("atypical benign partial epilepsy of childhood"). A separate syndrome?
Journal
Neuropediatrics
Author(s)
Deonna  T., Ziegler  A. L., Despland  P. A.
ISSN
0174-304X (Print)
Publication state
Published
Issued date
08/1986
Volume
17
Number
3
Pages
144-51
Notes
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't --- Old month value: Aug
Abstract
The authors have followed six children with atypical epilepsies but a favorable evolution, consisting in minor motor seizures of the myoclonic-astatic type (with diffuse slow spike-waves on the electroencephalogram) together with clinical and EEG features seen in benign focal epilepsy of childhood (BFEC), an association recently reported by Aicardi and Chevrie (1982). The maintenance of a normal neurological function despite severe epilepsy, the absence of tonic seizures and the marked activation of the spike discharges during sleep were described by these authors as important characteristics suggesting a good prognosis. The purpose of this study was to see if these children indeed represent a particular subgroup of idiopathic epilepsy and to draw attention to a special clinical and EEG combination indicating a possibly favorable ultimate outcome, in children usually diagnosed as suffering from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The six cases closely resembled the group described by Aicardi and Chevrie (1982), although the clinical and EEG features of BFEC were not as striking as in their cases. Also transient mental deterioration occurred during the active seizure periods. The therapeutic benefit of the various drugs tried was difficult to assess, but the behavior was often perturbed by medication. Although it is not possible to decide at the present time if these cases represent a particular epileptic syndrome, the special combination of clinical and EEG features seems characteristic enough to justify prospective studies of similar cases in the future.
Keywords
Adolescent Child Electroencephalography Epilepsy/*diagnosis/drug therapy Female Humans Male Syndrome
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
25/01/2008 12:40
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:49
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