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Childhood epilepsy syndromes with both focal and generalized seizures
Author(s) -
Hirsch E.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2005.00510.x
Subject(s) - epilepsy , medicine , epilepsy syndromes , antiepileptic drug , seizure types , intensive care medicine , generalized epilepsy , pediatrics , psychiatry
Childhood is a time of considerable importance for the onset of epilepsy syndromes. Selection of an appropriate antiepileptic drug (AED) is central to its successful management. Different AEDs have various effects depending on whether seizures are focal or generalized and this is often used as a rational basis for drug selection. Syndromes, in which features of both focal and generalized seizures are associated in a single patient, present particular problems for pediatric prescribing and epilepsy management since an AED suitable for one seizure type may be ineffective for, or even aggravate, another seizure type. This review discusses the syndromes with different seizures types, focal and generalized, examines the treatment options that may be useful in each case and highlights the potential of some of the newer AEDs in managing these difficult syndromes.