title: Association of Family History of Epilepsy with Earlier Age Onset of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is supposedly the most frequent subtype of idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGE). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of JME and comparison of patients' demographics as well as timeline of the disease between positive family history epileptic patients (PFHE) and negative family history epileptic patients (NFHE) among sample of Iranian epileptic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From Feb. 2006 to Oct. 2009, 1915 definite epileptic patients (873 females) referred to epilepsy clinics in Isfahan, central Iran, were surveyed and among them, 194 JME patients were diagnosed. JME was diagnosed by its specific clinical and EEG criteria. Patients were divided into two groups as PFHE and NFHE and data were compared between them.
  
  
  RESULTS
  JME was responsible for 10% (194 patients) of all types of epilepsies. Of JME patients, 53% were female. In terms of family history of epilepsy, 40% were positive. No significant differences was found between PFHE and NFHE groups as for gender (P>0.05). Age of epilepsy onset was significantly earlier in PFHE patients (15 vs. 22 yr, P<0.001). Occurrence of JME before 18 yr old among PFHE patients was significantly higher (OR=2.356, P=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A family history of epilepsy might be associated with an earlier age of onset in patients with JME.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Isfahan Neurosciences Research Centre (INRC), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.affiliation: Medical Student and Isfahan Neurosciences Research Centre (INRC), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
authors.forename: Mohammad Amin
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.affiliation: Medical Student and Isfahan Neurosciences Research Centre (INRC), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Safaei
keywords: Age onset; Epilepsy; Family history; Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy; Timeline