EPILEPSY WITH GENERALIZED TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURES ALONE

Overview
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Seizure Classification
Generalized onset seizure
- Motor Onset
- Non-Motor Onset
Focal Onset Seizure
- By Onset Feature
- Focal to Bilateral Tonic-Clonic
- Hemispheric lateralization
- Lobar localization
  - Frontal
  - Temporal
  - Parietal
  - Occipital
Unknown Onset Seizure
Epilepsy Classification
Generalized Epilepsy
Focal Epilepsy
Generalized and Focal Epilepsy
Unknown Epilepsy
Epilepsy Syndromes
Neonatal/Infantile
- Self-limited neonatal seizures and Self-limited familial neonatal epilepsy
- Self limited familial and non-familial infantile epilepsy
- Early myoclonic encephalopathy
- Ohtahara syndrome
- West syndrome
- Dravet syndrome
- Myoclonic epilepsy in infancy
- Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures
- Myoclonic encephalopathy in non-progressive disorders
- Febrile seizures plus, genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus
Childhood
- Epilepsy with myoclonic-atonic seizures
- Epilepsy with eyelid myoclonias
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
- Childhood absence epilepsy
- Epilepsy with myoclonic absences
- Panayiotopoulos syndrome
- Childhood occipital epilepsy (Gastaut type)
- Photosensitive occipital lobe epilepsy
- Childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes
- Atypical childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes
- Epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spike-and-wave during sleep
- Landau-Kleffner syndrome
- Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy
Adolescent/Adult
- Juvenile absence epilepsy
- Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
- Epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone
- Autosomal dominant epilepsy with auditory features
- Other familial temporal lobe epilepsies
Any Age
- Familial focal epilepsy with variable foci
- Reflex epilepsies
- Progressive myoclonus epilepsies
Epilepsy Etiologies
Genetic Etiology
- Chromosomal abnormalities
- Gene abnormalities
Structural Etiology
- Malformations of cortical development
- Vascular malformations
- Hippocampal sclerosis
- Hypoxic-Ischemic
- Traumatic brain injury
- Tumors
- Porencephalic Cyst
Metabolic Etiology
Immune Etiology
- Rasmussen syndrome
- Antibody mediated
Infectious Etiology
Unknown Etiology
- Febrile infection related epilepsy syndrome
Epilepsy imitators

EPILEPSY WITH GENERALIZED TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURES ALONE

Background

The EEG background is normal.

CAUTION Generalized slowing is not seen.

CAUTION Focal slowing seen consistently over one area right arrow consider structural brain abnormality.

Interictal

Generalized spike-and-wave or polyspike-and-wave is seen in the interictal EEG. Half of patients have these abnormalities only in sleep.

CAUTION Although focal spike-and-wave can occur, if seen consistently in one area right arrow consider structural brain abnormality.

CAUTION Slow spike-and-wave (<2.5Hz) is not seen right arrow consider other epilepsy syndromes.

Activation

An intermittent photoparoxysmal response to photic stimulation may be seen.

EEG abnormality is enhanced by sleep deprivation and in sleep. Generalized spike-and-wave often becomes fragmented with sleep deprivation or in sleep. Fragmented generalized spike-and-wave can appear focal or multi-focal but usually is not consistently seen in one area. The morphology of the focal spike-and-wave typically appears similar to the generalized spike-and-wave.

Ictal

With generalized tonic-clonic seizures, the ictal EEG is often obscured by artifact. Generalized fast rhythmic spikes are seen in the tonic stage. Bursts of spikes and after-coming slow waves are synchronous with clonic jerks. A postictal period of irregular slow activity follows.