title: Overview: idiopathic generalized epilepsies.
abstract: The idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs) are an underemphasized topic. Two reasons for this relative lack of attention are that these epilepsies tend to be more easily controlled than the symptomatic partial and generalized epilepsies, and they are not as common. Because IGE usually arises in childhood or adolescence, these epilepsies may be thought of as a pediatric problem. However, a large number of patients continue to have seizures in adult life. Many exciting developments in understanding the pathophysiology, genetic etiology, and expanded treatment options warrant a reexamination of this important group of the epilepsies. This article reviews the more common IGE syndromes and associated seizure types as the first step in identifying the recent advances in our knowledge of these syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, U.S.A. richard.mattson@yale.edu
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Mattson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D020190:Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D013577:Syndrome; D009626:Terminology as Topic