Lecture 9: Epilepsy Classification and Etiology Flashcards
What is the ILAE?
International League Against Epilepsy
What is seizure semiology?
Clinical features of a seizure, what a seizure looks like
An epileptic seizure that beings with rhythmic shaking of the right hand most likely begins in the left pre-central gyrus because of which of the following?
Descending corticospinal tracts cross in the medulla
A newborn infant has a seizure that remains exquisitely localized to the right temporal cortex. The seizure discharge does NOT propagate to the right frontal cortex or other cortical regions. The clinical signs most likely to be seen are:
no obvious clinical signs
What is a seizure?
Transient dysfunction of all or part of the brain due to excessive discharge of a group of neurons, causing SUDDEN and TRANSIENT symptoms of a motor, sensory, autonomic or psychic nature
What is a provoked seizure? Significance?
A seizure with an immediate precipitant such as fever, head trauma, CNS infection
Provoked seizures are NOT epilepsy
What is an unprovoked seizure? Significance?
A seizure WITHOUT an immediate precipitant
Recurrent unprovoked seizures = epilepsy
What needs to happen in order to be defined as epilepsy?
Two or more unprovoked seizures = epilepsy
1 unprovoked seizures = a single unprovoked seizure
What is the epidemiology of epilepsy?
Greatest incidence in children and elderly
1% of elderly have epilepsy
.5% of teenagers have epilepsy
Cumulative incidence = 2.5-3%
Knowing seizure epidemiology, if you see a 45 y.o. HEALTHY female with no PMH presents with unprovoked seizures, what should your first thought be?
It might be a TUMOR
So if you have unprovoked seizures in unlikely age groups (20-60), think tumors
What are effective treatments for epilepsy?
- Fasting
-MOA is unknown but could be because of ketogenic release - Bromides
-interact with GABA to facilitate inhibitory neurotransmission - Phenobarbital
Acts via GABA-A receptors to facilitate inhibitory neurotransmission
-best shit for seizures
What is EEG?
-A measure of extra-cellular current from summed activity of many neurons
-Mainly reflects summed excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input to pyramidal cells
ODD number = left side of brain
EVEN number = right of brain
What is phenobarbital?
A barbiturate
Targets GABA-A and prolongs/potentiates action of GABA
What is EEG?
-A measure of extra-cellular current from summed activity of many neurons
-Mainly reflects summed excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input to pyramidal cells
ODD number = left side of brain
EVEN number = right of brain
What are the four categories in ILAE classification?
- Mode of epileptic seizure onset
- generalized vs. focal vs. unclear
- Epilepsy syndromes
- complex of signs and symptoms that define a recognizable type of epilepsy
- organized by AGE OF ONSET
- most epilepsies cant be classified in syndrome…but is useful if it can
- Epilepsy etiology
- genetic
- structural/metabolic
- unknown
- Evolution over time
- self limited or not (some can be outgrown, some need lifetime treatment)
- Treatment responsive or not
What are the three modes of seizure onset?
- Generalized
- Focal
- Unknown, unclear