title: [Idiopathic generalized epileptic syndromes of children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The idiopathic generalized epilepsies of children form a neurobiological continuum which starts during the first years of life, until adolescence. In this group, infantile absence epilepsy may be considered to be the maximum expression of the idiopathic generalized epilepsies in this age group. Infantile absences have seen studied in animal models, in humans and genetically.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyze the clinical and encephalographic characteristics of infantile absence epilepsies together with their prognosis and epidemiology. We also consider the palpebral myoclonias with absences and absences with perioral myoclonias. The generalized tonic-clonic seizures of childhood form an ill-defined epileptic syndrome, with very heterogeneous clinical and electroencephalographic characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seem important to be able to establish the precise diagnosis in these syndromes, since correct treatment depends on it.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Neurología Pediátrica, Hospital Infantil Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nieto-Barrera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D013577:Syndrome