title: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy of Janz.
abstract: We studied 43 patients, aged 15 to 69 years, whose convulsive seizures were uncontrolled because the syndrome of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy was not recognized. Awakening myoclonic jerks appeared with tonic-clonic (18 patients), clonic-tonic-clonic (24 patients), and absence seizures (17 patients), with a mean age at onset of 13.6 years. Generalized seizures were present in relatives of 17 patients. All patients had diffuse 3 1/2- to 6-Hz multispike-wave complexes. Valproic acid stopped convulsions in 86% of patients. After being free of seizures for 2 years, withdrawal of valproic acid was followed by relapse of convulsions in 12 patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013690:Television; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014635:Valproic Acid