The spectrum of idiopathic Rolandic epilepsy syndromes and idiopathic occipital epilepsies: from the benign to the disabling.

Full Abstract

Benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS) is an idiopathic focal epilepsy syndrome, the benign characteristics of which are debated; in fact, stable or intermittent specific neuropsychological deficits are frequent and may affect scholastic or adaptive abilities. Cognitive dysfunction may be related to a marked increment of the interictal epileptic discharges in NREM sleep:
different degrees of neuropsychological deficits depend on the extent of awake and sleep activity and the predominant discharge localization. The age of onset and duration of atypical sleep EEG patterns may correlate with permanent cognitive impairments. These atypical clinical and EEG evolutions have been reported in the literature as different syndromes that constitute the spectrum of idiopathic rolandic epilepsy. Moreover, a clinical link between BCECTS and early-onset benign childhood occipital epilepsy has been demonstrated. According to the neurobiological approach, the spectrum of Idiopathic Rolandic Epilepsy is based on an age-dependent, idiopathic predisposition to focal seizures and sharp-wave discharges, as an expression of nonlesional cortical excitability. The involvement of a given area of the cerebral cortex may depend on the brain maturational stage.

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Author information

Author/s: Gobbi, Giuseppe (G); Boni, Antonella (A); Filippini, Melissa (M);

Affiliation: Child Neurology Unit, Maggiore Hospital, Bologna, Italy. giuseppe.gobbi(-atsign-)ausl.bologna.it

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Review

Journal: Epilepsia (Epilepsia), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-; vol 47 Suppl 2 (issue ) : pp 62-6

Dates: Created 2006/11/19; Completed 2007/03/19;

PMID: 17105465, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Age Factors
Age of Onset
Brain - growth & development; physiopathology
Child, Preschool
Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; physiopathology
Electroencephalography - statistics & numerical data

Epilepsies, Partial - diagnosis; physiopathology
Epilepsy, Rolandic - diagnosis; physiopathology
Humans
Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data
Prognosis
Syndrome

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