Epileptic syndromes are disorders that are distinguished by a specific set of symptoms which include epilepsy. Epileptic syndromes are classified into the following:

1. Localization-related epilepsies – also known as partial or focal epilepsies. This type of syndrome comes from the epileptic focus, a tiny part of the brain that serves as the cause of the epileptic seizure.  Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common example of this epileptic syndrome. This is characterized by the shrinking of the hippocampus over time which could probably lead to impairment in memory and learning.
2. Generalized epilepsies – comes from many independent foci or also known as multifocal epilepsies. This type of syndrome involves the entire brain. An example of this syndrome is the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome which results in childhood dementia, developmental delay and a myriad of generalized seizures. Another example is the progressive myoclonic epilepsy which is characterized by myoclonic seizures and progressive dementia.
3. Epilepsies of unknown localization – epileptic seizures which have unknown origin: whether they come from a particular portion of the brain or from many independent circuits in the brain.
4. Idiopathic epilepsies – comes from genetic abnormalities that results in the alteration of the neuronal regulation. Examples of syndromes include the autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) which causes seizures during sleep. This is an inherited epileptic syndrome which causes complex motor movements and vocalizations such as shouting and crying during sleep. ADNFLE is often misdiagnosed as nightmares. Another example is the benign centrotemporal lobe epilepsy of childhood which causes simple partial seizures that also involve the facial muscles. This type of epileptic syndrome also causes frequent drooling. Seizure episodes are usually confined to sleep and the symptoms tend to cease near puberty.
5. Symptomatic epilepsies – comes from epileptic lesions which can be a result of focal seizure, tumor or a metabolic defect which causes damage in the brain. Examples of this syndrome include frontal lobe epilepsy which comes from lesions that cause seizures in the frontal lobe of the brain. Another example of this syndrome is the Rasmussen’s encephalitis which causes a progressive inflammatory lesion in children.

Some epileptic syndromes do not fall within these classifications like Landau-Kleffner and the West syndromes. The neocortical epilepsy is another epileptic syndrome which do not fall under one classification. Neocortical epilepsy originates from the cortex and may even result to the patient having auras. This syndrome can be classified under partial or generalized syndrome.

Filed under: Epilepsy

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