title: Reflex seizures in Rett syndrome.
abstract: Reflex seizures are a rare phenomenon among epileptic patients, in which an epileptic discharge is triggered by various kinds of stimuli (visual, auditory, tactile or gustatory). Epilepsy is common in Rett syndrome patients (up to 70%), but to the authors' knowledge, no pressure or eating-triggered seizures have yet been reported in Rett children. We describe three epileptic Rett patients with reflex seizures, triggered by food intake or proprioception. One patient with congenital Rett Sd. developed infantile epileptic spasms at around seven months and two patients with classic Rett Sd. presented with generalised tonic-clonic seizures at around five years. Reflex seizures appeared when the patients were teenagers. The congenital-Rett patient presented eating-triggered seizures at the beginning of almost every meal, demonstrated by EEG recording. Both classic Rett patients showed self-provoked pressure -triggered attacks, influenced by stress or excitement. Non-triggered seizures were controlled with carbamazepine or valproate, but reflex seizures did not respond to antiepileptic drugs. Risperidone partially improved self-provoked seizures. When reflex seizures are suspected, reproducing the trigger during EEG recording is fundamental; however, self-provoked seizures depend largely on the patient's will. Optimal therapy (though not always possible) consists of avoiding the trigger. Stress modifiers such as risperidone may help control self-provoked seizures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology, Sant Joan de Deu Children's Hospital of Barcelona, Spain. aroche@hsjdbcn.org
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roche Martínez
authors.forename: M Itziar
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Alonso Colmenero
authors.forename: Andreia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomes Pereira
authors.forename: Francesc X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Sanmartí Vilaplana
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Armstrong Morón
authors.forename: Mercé
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pineda Marfa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D020195:Epilepsy, Reflex / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D015518:Rett Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; C090173:FOXG1 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C497392:MECP2 protein, human; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C114482:CDKL5 protein, human