title: Adult myoclonic epilepsy: a distinct syndrome of idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
abstract: The authors present 11 cases of idiopathic generalized epilepsy that began in adulthood at a mean age of 39 years. All patients had myoclonic jerks, five had absence seizures, and nine had infrequent generalized tonic-clonic seizures. A majority had a family history of seizures. EEG in all patients showed generalized epileptiform abnormalities, whereas neuroimaging and neurologic examination results were normal. This series appears to represent a previously undescribed idiopathic generalized epilepsy syndrome of adult myoclonic epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Washington University Epilepsy Center, St Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gilliam
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Steinhoff
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bittermann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuzniecky
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Faught
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abou-Khalil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D013577:Syndrome