Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Infantile seizures: Infants are not just little children

  • Published:
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Seizure semiology in infants defies the typical characteristics and classification schemata that have been developed for older children and adults. A clear classification system is a necessary first step to facilitate proper diagnosis, choice of treatment, and determination of prognosis. This is an especially challenging task with seizures in infants. A semiologic system based upon simple descriptive terms has been proposed, which the neurologist and pediatrician will recognize as closer to clinical experience.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References and Recommended Reading

  1. Korff C, Nordli DR: Do generalized tonic-clonic seizures in infancy exist? Neurology 2005, 65:1750–1753.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Aicardi J: Syndromic classification in the management of epilepsy. J Child Neurol 1994, 9:2S14–2S18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Hauser WA, Annegers JF, Kurland LT: Incidence of epilepsy and unprovoked seizures in Rochester, Minnesota: 1935–1984. Epilepsia 1993, 34:435–468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Hauser WA: Epidemiology of epilepsy in children. In Pediatric Epilepsy: Diagnosis and Therapy. Edited by Pellock JM, Dodson WE, Bourgeois BF. New York: Demos Medical Publishing; 2001:81–96.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy: Proposal for revised clinical and electrographic classification of epileptic seizures. Epilepsia 1981, 22:489–501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy: Proposal for revised classification of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes. Epilepsia 1989, 30:389–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Berg AT, Levy SR, Testa FM, Shinnar S: Classification of childhood epilepsy syndromes in newly diagnosed epilepsy: interrater agreement and reasons for disagreement. Epilepsia 1999, 40:439–444.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Nordli DR, Bazil CW, Scheuer ML, Pedley TA: Recognition and classification of seizures in infants. Epilepsia 1997, 38:553–560.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Nordli DR, Kuroda MM, Hirsch LJ: The ontogeny of partial seizures in infants and young children. Epilepsia 2001, 42:986–990.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Acharya JN, Wyllie E, Luders O, et al.: Seizure symptomatology in infants with localization-related epilepsy. Neurology 1997, 48:189–196.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Hamer HM, Wyllie E, Luders HO, et al.: Symptomatology of epileptic seizures in the first three years of life. Epilepsia 1999, 40:837–844.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Nordli DR: Diagnostic difficulty in infants and children. J Child Neurol 2002, 17:S28–S35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Korff CM, Nordli DR: Epilepsy syndromes in infancy. Pediatr Neurol 2006, 34:253–263.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Nordli DR, Wylie E, Holland KD: Advances in our understanding of early childhood epilepsies: 1999–2000. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2001, 1:390–395.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Nordli D: Infantile seizures and epilepsy syndromes. Epilepsia 2002, 43(Suppl 3):11–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Nordli DR, De Vivo DC: Classification of infantile seizures: implications for identification and treatment of inborn errors of metabolism. J Child Neurol 2002, 17:3S3–3S8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Luders H, Acharya J, Baumgartner C, et al.: Semiological seizure classification. Epilepsia 1998, 39:1006–1013.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Engel J Jr: A proposed scheme for people with epileptic seizures and with epilepsy: report of the ILAE Task Force on Classification and Terminology. Epilepsia 2001, 42:796–803.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Korff CM, Nordli DR: The clinico-electrographic expression of infantile seizures. Epilepsy Res 2006, 70(Suppl):S116–S131.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Pearl PL, Bennett HD, Khademian Z: Seizures and metabolic disease. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2005, 5:127–133.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Shields DW: Diagnosis of infantile spasms, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and progressive myoclonic epilepsy. Epilepsia 2004, 45(Suppl):S2–S4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Shahar E, Barak S, Andraus J, Kramer U: Primary generalized epilepsy during infancy and early childhood. J Child Neurol 2004, 19:170–174.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Wong M, Trevathan E: Infantile spasms. Pediatric Neurol 2001, 24:89–98.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sarisjulis N, Gamboni B, Plouin P, et al.: Diagnosing idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy syndromes in infancy. Arch Dis Child 2000, 82:226–230.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David T. Hsieh.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hsieh, D.T., Walker, J.M. & Pearl, P.L. Infantile seizures: Infants are not just little children. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 8, 139–144 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-008-0022-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-008-0022-1

Keywords

Navigation