The progressive myoclonic epilepsies (PME) represent a genetically heterogeneous group of epilepsies that associate, as a hallmark, cortical myoclonus, other types of epileptic seizures, and a progressive…
Seizures are time-limited paroxysmal events that result from abnormal, involuntary rhythmic activity affecting small or large neuronal networks in the brain (1,2). The term seizure appears to…
OCCIPITAL EPILEPSY OF GASTAUT Late-onset childhood occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type) in its pure form is a self-limited epilepsy, presenting with focal seizures of childhood or adolescence. It…
Levetiracetam (LEV) and brivaracetam (BRV) are analogues of piracetam. This series of drug molecules was derived from a γ-butyrolactam ring structure. LEV, (S)-2-(2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)butanamide (Figure 58.1), is an…
Benzodiazepines bind to an allosteric site on the neuronal GABAA receptor, a ligand-gated chloride channel, and enhance chloride conductance to hyperpolarize the neuronal membrane, thus augmenting inhibitory…
Status epilepticus (SE) is a true neurologic emergency (1). Both convulsive and nonconvulsive SE affect people of all ages, although it is more common and carries greater…
Hippocrates noted that while epilepsy at birth tended to be resistant to cure, seizures whose origin was in later childhood tended to cease at puberty. Though many…
INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION West syndrome (WS) is a devastating form of epilepsy defined by a triad of infantile spasms, hypsarhythmia, and developmental regression (1,2). The clinical features…
Valproic acid, or valproate (VPA), has been used in the treatment of epilepsy for more than 50 years (1). During this time, it became one of the…
INTRODUCTION: SELF-LIMITED FOCAL EPILEPSIES OF CHILDHOOD The International League Against Epilepsy’s (ILAE’s) revised classification of seizures and epilepsies (1) argues against the older term benign because it…
