title: [Absence seizures in adulthood: four cases].
abstract: We present four patients between 40 and 60 years of age with irregular control of seizures in adulthood, with a mean duration of history of 44 years and the following characteristics in common; a) history of childhood absence seizures beginning between age 4 and 7; b) appearance of generalized tonic-clonic seizures during adolescence; and c) persistence of typical absence seizures upon awakening during adulthood, manifested as "clumsiness during the first half hour after awakening". Waking and sleeping EEG polygraphs were done on all patients, including the first half hour after awakening, confirming the presence of generalized polyspike/wave during non-REM sleep and generalized spike/wave periods accompanied by simultaneous loss of consciousness, or intermittent slow generalized polyspike/wave accompanied by bradypsychia. We comment on the usefulness of valproic acid alone or in combination with ethosuximide in the treatment of these patients.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Neurología, Hospital General Alvarez Buylla, Mieres.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ribacoba Montero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salas Puig
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferreiro Martín
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000209:etiology; D005013:Ethosuximide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012890:Sleep; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D005013:Ethosuximide; D014635:Valproic Acid
vernacular_title: Crisis de ausencias típicas en la edad adulta: a propósito de 4 casos.