title: Eyelid myoclonia with absences in adults: a clinical and video-EEG study.
abstract: We report clinical and video-EEG findings in 11 adults with the syndro me of eyelid myoclonia with absences (EMA). Prevalence was 2.7% among all epilepsies and 12.9% among idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGE) with typical absences. All patients with EMA were women, with a mean age of 30.9 years and a mean age of 7.8 years at reported onset of eyelid myoclonia. The characteristic seizures, studied with video-EEG in 10 patients, began with and were mainly manifested by eyelid myoclonia, either alone if brief (< or = 2 s) or with associated mild impairment of consciousness if longer. The ictal EEG was characterized by polyspike and slow waves at 3-6 Hz. Ictal clinical and EEG manifestations occurred mainly after eye closure and were inhibited by total darkness. All patients were photosensitive, but photosensitivity decreased with age; nonpatient had self-induced seizures. Infrequent generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) occurred in all but the youngest patient; they were usually infrequent and were precipitated mainly by flickering lights, sleep deprivation, fatigue, and menstruation. Mild myoclonic jerks of the upper limbs occurred in 6 patients. Eyelid myoclonia was resistant to medication and persisted despite control of other seizures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsies, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, England.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannakodimos
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Panayiotopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D015897:Comorbidity; D003624:Darkness; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014741:Video Recording