Adult myoclonic epilepsy: a distinct syndrome of idiopathic generalized epilepsy.
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.
Gilliam
F
F
Washington University Epilepsy Center, St Louis, MO, USA.
Steinhoff
B J
BJ
Bittermann
H J
HJ
Kuzniecky
R
R
Faught
E
E
Abou-Khalil
B
B
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