title: Familial epilepsy in Algeria: Clinical features and inheritance profiles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the clinical characteristics and inheritance pattern of epilepsy in multigeneration Algerian families.
  
  
  METHODS
  Affected members from extended families with familial epilepsy were assessed at the University Hospital of Oran in Algeria. Available medical records, neurological examination, electroencephalography and imaging data were reviewed. The epilepsy type was classified according to the criteria of the International League Against Epilepsy and modes of inheritance were deduced from pedigree analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study population included 40 probands; 23 male (57.5%) and 17 female subjects (42.5%). The mean age of seizure onset was 9.5 ± 6.1 years. According to seizure onset, 16 patients (40%) had focal seizures and 20 (50%) had generalized seizures. Seizure control was achieved for two patients (5%) for 10 years, while 28 (70%) were seizure-free for 3 months. Eleven patients (27.5%) had prior febrile seizures, 12 were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and four families had syndromic epilepsy. The consanguinity rate among parents of affected was 50% with phenotypic concordance observed in 25 families (62.5%). Pedigree analysis suggested autosomal dominant (AD) inheritance with or without reduced penetrance in 18 families (45%), probable autosomal recessive (AR) inheritance in 14 families (35%), and an X-linked recessive inheritance in one family.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reveals large Algerian families with multigenerational inheritance of epilepsy. Molecular testing such as exome sequencing would clarify the genetic basis of epilepsy in some of our families.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Oran, Algeria. Electronic address: amina.chentouf@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chentouf
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Oran, Oran, Algeria.
authors.forename: Aïcha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahdouh
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Laboratory, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guipponi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Oran, Algeria.
authors.forename: Mohand Laïd
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Oubaiche
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Benaknoun University Hospital, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Malika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaouch
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Genetic Medicine and Laboratory, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stylianos E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Antonarakis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000462:Algeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Algeria; Consanguinity; Familial epilepsy; Inherited epilepsy; Pedigree