Benign Focal Epilepsies in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence

Description

It is well known that the incidence of epilepsies is higher in this age period than in any other time in the life span. The frequent occurrence of seizures refractory to antiepileptic drug treatments is of great concern. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the group of benign epilepsy syndromes presented in this book is clearly more prevalent in childhood than the intractable epilepsies. Neurologists and paediatricians should be familiar with these conditions because accurate diagnosis, and its consequent good prognosis, may save much suffering to the family.
Special emphasis, however, is given to the small proportion of children who, in spite of presenting a usually benign disease, show an atypical evolution which hampers their neuropsychological development. It is fundamental to be aware of the possible ill effects of some antiepileptic drugs in these cases.
Finally, advancements in the recognition of new - and not so rare - epileptic syndromes are presented. All the subjects are supported by extensive experience of the authors based in large series of patients.

Contents:

PART I - Introduction
Definition of syndromes, seizure types and nosologic spectrum
Cortical excitability in benign focal epilepsies

PART II - Familial and Non-Familial Infantile Seizures
Benign familial and non familial infantile seizures
Benign familial infantile seizures and paroxysmal choreoathetosis
Benign infantile focal epilepsy with midline spikes and waves during sleep

PART III - Idiopathic focal epilepsies in childhood
Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes
Early onset benign childhood occipital epilepsy (Panayiotopoulos type)
Late onset childhood occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type)
Are there other types of benign focal epilepsies in childhood?
Atypical evolutions of benign focal epilepsies in childhood (BFEC), or syndromes related to BFEC?
Symptomatic focal epilepsies imitating atypical evolutions of idiopathic focal epilepsies in childhood.

PART IV - Idiopathic focal epilepsies in adolescence
Benign focal seizures of adolescence

PART V - Autosomal dominant focal epilepsies
Is there a subset of benign cases within the autosomal dominant focal epilepsies?
After the 4th edition of the blue book,
here is the 21st volume of the collection "Current problems in epilepsy": a reference work on benign partial epilepsy in children, illustrated by the patient cohorts of the authors, for a better diagnosis of childhood epilepsy syndromes.