| epilepsia | <disease, neurology> The paroxysmal transient disturbances of brain function that may be manifested as episodic impairment or loss of consciousness, abnormal motor phenomena, psychic or sensory disturbances or perturbation of the autonomic nervous system. Symptoms are due to paroxysmal disturbance of the electrical activity of the brain. On the basis of origin, epilepsy is idiopathic (cryptogenic, essential, genetic) or symptomatic (acquired, organic). On the basis of clinical and electroencephalographic phenomenon, four subdivisions are recognised: 1. Grand mal epilepsy (major epilepsy, haut mal epilepsy) subgroups: generalised, focal (localised), jacksonian (rolandic) 2. Petit mal epilepsy 3. Psychomotor epilepsy (temporal lobe epilepsy, psychic, psychic equivalent or variant) subgroups: psychomotor proper (tonic with adversive or torsion movements or masticatory phenomena), automatic (with amnesia) and sensory (hallucinations or dream states or d굁. Vu) 4. Autonomic epilepsy (diencephalic), with flushing, pallor, tachycardia, hypertension, perspiration or other visceral symptoms. Synonym: epilepsia. Origin: Gr. Epilepsia = seizure (14 May 1997) |
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| epilepsia partialis continua | Focal motor status epilepticus characterised by high fever, delirium, localised muscular spasms and generalised convulsion, then clonic twitching of one group of muscles at regular intervals (seconds apart) lasting for hours or months, remaining localised. These continue throughout sleep, possibly at a reduced rate. (12 Dec 1998) |
| myoclonic | Showing myoclonus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| myoclonic astatic epilepsy | A petit mal variant characterised by atonic (drop attacks) and tonic or tonic-clonic attacks in neurologically disabled (hemiplegic, ataxic, etc.) children with mental retardation; characterised in EEG by 2/sec spike and wave discharges; usually progresses in spite of medication. (05 Mar 2000) |
| myoclonic seizure | Seizure associated with single or repetitive myoclonic jerks. (05 Mar 2000) |
| epilepsy, myoclonic | A progressive encephalopathy characterised by myoclonic jerks (single or repetitive muscle contractions involving one body part or the entire body), mental retardation, and ataxia. The disease, an autosomal recessive form of epilepsy, occurs usually at puberty. The most significant pathological findings are lafora's inclusion bodies, which contain mucopolysaccharides. (12 Dec 1998) |
| epilepsy with myoclonic absences | A form of generalised epilepsy characterised by absence seizures, severe bilateral rhythmic clonic jerks often associated with tonic contraction, and an EEG 3 Hz spike and wave pattern. Age of onset is usually around seven years and males are more often affected. (05 Mar 2000) |
| juvenile myoclonic epilepsy | An epilepsy syndrome typically beginning in early adolescence, and characterised by early morning myoclonic jerks that may progress into a generalised tonic-clonic seizure. A genetic disorder: some families have had gene linkage to chromosome-6. The EEG is characterised by generalised polyspike and wave discharges at 4-6 Hz. (05 Mar 2000) |