Idiopathic epilepsy
• Usually have a genetic basis.
• Representing up to 47% of all epilepsies. [1]
• About 2% of the idiopathic epilepsies are thought to be monogenic. [1]
• For example:
Benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS)
Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC)
Childhood absence (CAE)
Juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE)
Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME)
Symptomatic epilepsy
• Caused by un underlying problem, such as:
a tumor, a metabolic disorder, an infection, a congenital brain malformation or an injury.
• Different from provoked seizures: provoked seizures are acute, but symptomatic epilepsy is chronic.
Cryptogenic epilepsy
• Unknown cause, probably symptomatic.
• Thought to be caused by a brain lesion that is not visible on CT scan or MRI.
• Individual whose epilepsy was considered cryptogenic is later diagnosed with a metabolic or mitochondrial disease.
Reference:
[1] Nicita F, De Liso P, Danti F R, et al. The genetics of monogenic idiopathic epilepsies and epileptic encephalopathies[J]. Seizure, 2012, 21(1): 3-11.
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Last updated: Jul 6, 2014