| childhood absence epilepsy | A generalised epilepsy syndrome characterised by the onset of absence seizures in childhood, typically at age six or seven years. There is a strong genetic predisposition and girls are affected more often than boys. EEG reveals generalised 3 Hz spike-wave activity on a normal background. Prognosis for remission is good if the patient does not also have generalised tonic-clonic seizures. See: absence. Synonym: petit mal epilepsy, pyknolepsy. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms | A benign epilepsy syndrome characterised by frequent occipital spikes often activated by eye closure. It has a seizure semiology that includes visual manifestations; not always remitting later in life. (05 Mar 2000) |
| petit mal epilepsy | A generalised epilepsy syndrome characterised by the onset of absence seizures in childhood, typically at age six or seven years. There is a strong genetic predisposition and girls are affected more often than boys. EEG reveals generalised 3 Hz spike-wave activity on a normal background. Prognosis for remission is good if the patient does not also have generalised tonic-clonic seizures. See: absence. Synonym: petit mal epilepsy, pyknolepsy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rolandic epilepsy | A benign, autosomal, dominant form of epilepsy occurring in children, characterised clinically by arrest of speech, by muscular contractions of the side of the face and arm and epileptic discharges electroencephalographically. Origin: Luigi Rolando (05 Mar 2000) |
| pharmacoresistent epilepsy | Epilepsy not adequately controlled by medication. Synonym: pharmacoresistent epilepsy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| photogenic epilepsy | A form of reflex epilepsy precipitated by light. (05 Mar 2000) |
| complex precipitated epilepsy | A form of reflex epilepsy initiated by specialised sensory stimuli, e.g., certain visual patterns. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cortical epilepsy | Epilepsy of various aetiologies characterised by focal seizures or secondarily generalised tonic-clonic seizures. Ictal symptoms are often related to the brain region where the seizure begins focally. Synonym: cortical epilepsy, local epilepsy, partial epilepsy. (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) |
| myoclonus epilepsy | A clinically diverse group of epilepsy syndromes, some benign, some progressive. Many are hereditary with mendelian and nonmendelian mitochondrial inheritance. All are characterised by the occurrence of myoclonus, which may be limited or predominate in the condition. Specific syndromes include cherry red spot myoclonus syndrome, ceroid lipofuscinosis, myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibres, and Baltic myoclonus. Synonym: localization related epilepsy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cryptogenic epilepsy | tonic-clonic seizure |
| posttraumatic epilepsy | A convulsive state following and causally related to head injury; with brain damage either manifested clinically or ascertained by special examinations such as computed tomography. To assume causal relationship, the individual must have had no previous epilepsy, no cerebral disease, and no other brain trauma. The attacks should have started, depending on the severity of the wounding, within 3 months to 2 years of the alleged trauma and be of a type compatible with the site of injury and the EEG abnormalities. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary generalised epilepsy | Epilepsy without evidence of focal or multifocal central nervous system disease. Seizures are generalised from onset, both by EEG and clinical criteria. Often a pure genetic form of epilepsy. See: generalised tonic-clonic seizure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| procursive epilepsy | A psychomotor attack initiated by whirling or running. (05 Mar 2000) |
| psychomotor epilepsy | Attacks with elaborate and multiple sensory, motor, and/or psychic components, the common feature being a clouding or loss of consciousness and amnesia for the event; clinical manifestations may take the form of automatisms; emotional outbursts of temper, anger or show of fear; motor or psychic disturbances; or may be related to any sphere of human activity. Electroencephalographically, the attack is characterised by spike discharges in the temporal lobe, especially in sleep. See: procursive epilepsy, visceral epilepsy, uncinate epilepsy. Synonym: automatic epilepsy, psychomotor seizure. (05 Mar 2000) |