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