Synonyms
Note: In 2017, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) revised the naming of seizures to make them more understandable. Terms like “petit mal” and “pyknolepsy” be avoided
Short Description or Definition
An absence seizure consists of staring as the behavioral change which accompanies abnormal generalized electrical activity in the brain. The electrical brain activity seen in “typical” absence seizures is generalized 3-Hz spike and wave discharges. Absence seizures are brief (usually less than 15 s) and do not usually result in falling, loss of muscle tone, or jerking of the arms and legs.
Categorization
Absence seizures are categorized as primarily generalized seizures. Childhood absence epilepsy has an onset between 3 and 8 years of age, and juvenile absence epilepsy has onset after 10 years.
Epidemiology
Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) has an incidence of 6.3−8/100,000 in children less than 15 years of age, and the majority are girls.
CAE represents about 10% of...
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References and Reading
Fisher, R. S., Cross, J. H., D’Souza, C., French, J. A., Haut, S. R., Higurashi, N., et al. (2017). Instruction manual for the ILAE 2017 operational classification of seizure types. Epilepsia, 58(4), 531–542. https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.13671.
Glauser, T. A., Cnaan, A., Shinar, S., Hiaz, D. G., Dlugos, P., Masur, D., et al. (2010). Ethosuccimide, valproic acid, and lamictal in children with absence epilepsy. The New England Journal of Medicine, 362(9), 790–799.
Matricardi, S., Verrotti, A., Chiarelli, F., Cerminara, C., & Curatolo, P. (2014). Current advances in childhood absence epilepsy. Pediatric Neurology, 50(3), 205–212.
Spence, S. J., & Schneider, M. T. (2009). The role of epilepsy and epileptiform EEGs in autism spectrum disorders. Pediatric Research, 65, 599–606.
Weiergraber, H., Stephani, U., & Kohling, R. (2010). Voltage gated calcium channels in etiopathogenesis and treatment of absence epilepsy. Brain Research Reviews, 62(2), 245–271.
Yalcin, O. (2012). Genes and molecular mechanisms involved in the epileptogenesis of idiopathic absence epilepsy. Seizure, 21(2), 79–86.
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Kwon, J.M., Pal, R. (2018). Absence Seizures, 2nd Edition. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_37-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_37-3
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