Epilepsy II Flashcards
What percent of children will have a seizure before age 20?
5%
______ percent of people will be seizure-free after their first drug.
Seventy
True or false: partial seizures will typically present with abnormalities in one or a couple EEG leads.
True
Hand automatisms (seemingly purposeful movements that appear periodically) are characteristic of ____________.
partial seizures
Describe the difference between idiopathic and cryptogenic as used by pediatric neurologists.
Idiopathic: genetic predisposition
Cryptogenic: thought to have an etiology not yet proven
Neurologists call medication-responsive epilepsy “____________” and medication-refractory epilepsy “_______________.”
benign; catastrophic
Almost all febrile seizures occur by age _______.
3 years
The incidence of febrile seizures is _________.
2% - 4% in the U.S.
Simple seizures are ______________. Complex are ________________.
generalized; focal
True or false: rapid rise of temperature is correlated with febrile seizure.
False. This is an old wives’ tale that has been disproven
Febrile seizures ___________ often.
recur (especially if the first occurred before age 1 or there is a positive family history of epilepsy)
True or false: there are typically cognitive sequelae with febrile seizures.
False. Neurocognitive studies have demonstrated that those who’ve had febrile seizures do not have higher rates of cognitive sequelae.
Pre-emptive treatment of febrile seizures does not prevent ____________.
future epilepsy
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome presents with what EEG sign?
The slow spike and wave (slow because it’s slower than 3 Hz)
In general, you should not treat people until they’ve had ______________.
two prior seizures
Start anticonvulsant therapy with ______________.
one drug; then move to different single drugs if that fails – only consider polytherapy when many single drugs have failed
Lamotrigine can sometimes make __________ worse.
myoclonic (even though lamotrigine is a broad-spectrum antiepileptic)
Why is valproic acid not given to teenage girls?
Because it can cause polycystic ovary disease
To qualify as epilepsy, the seizures need to be ________________.
unprovoked
Seizures most often occur in what age groups?
The very young and the very old
True or false: more than 1/3 of epileptics are resistant to pharmacotherapy.
True! About 36%
The most common childhood seizures are ____________.
febrile seizures (usually occurring in the 18 - 22 month age)
Of simple and complex seizures, which kind is more likely to recur?
Complex
What is the efficacy of ketogenic diets?
At least 50% of patients show some response, with 7% being seizure-free
