Childhood epilepsy with absences (pycnolepsy, Friedman syndrome) accounts for 8 to 15% of all childhood epilepsy. The sick child "turns off": freezes, but does not fall down, simply does not contact for a while. Such seizures may occur several times a day. Although they appear to be a minor problem at first glance, they do require treatment. They can contribute to dangerous accidents.

Childhood epilepsy with absences 7 years old). Factors that may provoke seizures are emotions, hyperventilation, hypoglycaemia.

Childhood epilepsy with absences: symptoms

  • Absence seizures are short (4-20 seconds) and frequent (tens or hundreds of times a day), with sudden and profound disturbance of consciousness and inhibition of activity.
  • The seizures are often accompanied by specific motor activity: non-rhythmic blinking, eyes may turn to a strong stimulus in the environment, slight myoclonic movements of the eyelids, eyebrows or lips
  • Mouth automatism, tilting head movements, grasping or rubbing hands or feet may occur within 3-6 seconds of the onset of a seizure.
  • Untypical for complex partial seizures, and present here, is the non-stereotyping of automatisms and the possibility of influencing them depending on the position of the limb, the type of activity immediately before the seizure.

Immediately after the seizure, the child is conscious, oriented, functions properly and often does not remember having a seizure. Children develop normally, although they are more likely to experience behavioral, learning, and social problems as they are often the seizures impair attention and learning. Up to 30% have a history of febrile seizures

Childhood epilepsy with absences: diagnosis

The basis is EEG testing. Interictal recording is characterized by normal basic activity. The record during a seizure has a characteristic pattern, which consists of high-voltage spikes on both sides, occurring at a frequency of 3 Hz. As it continuesThe discharge frequency is reduced by 0.5-1 Hz. The spiers are usually single, but can also be double. The spikes and slow wave discharges have the highest electronegativity in the frontal areas, sometimes they can also appear in the posterior leads. The discharges are not lateralized.

Epilepsy with Attacks: Treatment and Prognosis

Ethosuximide and valproic acid are the main medications for epilepsy with attacks of absence. Newer generations of AEDs have been shown to be effective in uncontrolled clinical trials, and special care should be taken to distinguish this type from other (localized epilepsy) as many commonly used AEDs are ineffective in treating absence attacks. The disease progresses with age, reducing its incidence with age. for preschool and school children. Adult people are often unaware that they have had such seizures in the past, and in the current period of life they do not experience any consequences related to it

Category:

Neurology