|
|
Here's a typical story: Sonia, an 8-year-old girl, "blanks out" for a few seconds and sometimes stops dancing for 10 to 20 seconds during her ballet lessons. Her teacher calls her name, but Sonia doesn't seem to hear her. She usually blinks a few times and her eyes may roll up a bit, but with the short seizures she just stares. Then she is right back where she left off in her dance routine. Some days she has more than 50 of these spells.
The seizures of childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) are usually staring spells during which the child is not aware or responsive. The child's eyes may roll up briefly. Each spell lasts about 10 seconds and ends abruptly. The child often is not even aware that anything has happened. These episodes can occur 1 to 50 times per day, often during exercise. Tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, with or without fever, may occur for a while before absence seizures develop and may occur from time to time thereafter.
CAE accounts for 2% to 8% of patients with epilepsy. The absence seizures usually begin between the ages of 4 and 8 years in children who have normal intelligence and neurologic function.
The cause is predominantly genetic. About one-third of the families of children with CAE report a family history of similar seizures. The brothers and sisters of children with CAE have about a 10% chance of developing epilepsy.
The EEG shows spike and wave discharges at 1.5 to 4.0 Hz (cycles per second) that are the same on both sides of the brain. CT and MRI scans of the brain are normal, so they may not be recommended.
Either Zarontin (ethosuximide) or Depakote (valproate) can be used to treat CAE. The advantage of using Depakote is that it treats both absence and tonic-clonic seizures. If the absences are persistent, Depakote and Zarontin should be tried one at a time and then in combination. Lamictal (lamotrigine) has been shown to be effective in treating CAE. Some of the newer antiepileptic drugs show promise in CAE but have not undergone controlled studies. These include Keppra (leviteracetam), Topamax (topiramae), and Zonegram (zonisamide).
Childhood absence epilepsy is considered to be one of the relatively benign childhood epilepsies. For 65% of these children, the seizures respond to treatment and disappear by mid-adolescence. Absence seizures persisting into adult life are rare, but it happens occasionally.
Topic Editor: Gregory L. Holmes, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 10/17/06
This content is user-generated. Content is not monitored nor consistently reviewed by the epilepsy.com Editorial Board. Epilepsy.com therefore cannot guarantee the accuracy of any content edited with the Wiki sections. While epilepsy.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and its partners encourage visitor interaction and publishing within these sections, users should use caution when exploring content, especially as it pertains to health concerns. No content on epilepsy.com is intended to replace the care of a doctor. We encourage you to contact your own health care provider for individual medical advice. We cannot provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy, nor does this Wiki content constitute a recommendation for any diagnosis or treatment options.
Childhood
Absence Epilepsy :The seizures of childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) are
usually staring spells during which the child is not aware or responsive...
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Temporal lobe surgery | Aug 16, 2009 | |
| a_mkelly2000 | ||
| Positive Stories Only | Jul 27, 2009 | |
| onemarvy | ||
| Abnormal EEG - Absences and other stange symptoms in child | Aug 3, 2009 | |
| 1oliver3 | ||
| Fear of Depakote | Oct 7, 2009 | |
| MegM | ||
| Depakote, Behaviors, and personality | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| nytasha | ||
| Normal EEG but continuing seizures | Aug 13, 2009 | |
| Amazon | ||
| 4yr. complex febrile but just had 2 seizures w/out fever please help! | Jul 26, 2009 | |
| krisnichole | ||
| Is anyone else like this? help! | Sep 20, 2009 | |
| Newyorkcita | ||
| 11 year old unstable | Oct 18, 2009 | |
| magpie60 | ||
| absence seizures memory | Aug 9, 2009 | |
| ssoban | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Will my car insurance rates go up in a single car accident? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| bakerdvd | ||
| Switching to Topamax from Depakote ER.. Advice? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| jessicarenee | ||
| A Scary Doctor | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| snoodle | ||
| VNS | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| maryem | ||
| Vimpat for Primary Generalized Epilepsy | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| filly150 | ||
| Food-Triggered Siezures | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| uberzwitter | ||
| I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life... | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| 1nevermore | ||
| Hallucinations and delusions | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| rayraykay | ||
| Epilepsy/Seizure Caused Hallucinations? | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| chrylbltn | ||
| "Post-ictal" confusion | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| RitKid742 | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,421 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,946 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,834 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,714 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 15,207 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,076 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 12,888 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 11,355 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised | 10,009 | |
| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,420 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Chloe's/ Mommy's Bad Day (absence seizure?) | Sep 10, 2009 | |
| 2 seizure infants | ||
| It's Not The Fall That Hurts... | Aug 15, 2009 | |
| michelej | ||
| The Greatest Experience!!!! | Aug 9, 2009 | |
| rachgamboa | ||
| Bonnie's Blog | Sep 4, 2009 | |
| manzolini@comcast.net | ||
| Bonnie's Blog | Sep 4, 2009 | |
| manzolini@comcast.net | ||
| Some new random thoughts | Sep 14, 2009 | |
| MichaelK | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| The Last Voice | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| cindy thacher | ||
| Ugg boots | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| UGG lays its charm | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| UGG lays its charm | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| shirts | ||
| 29 years old, had seizures since I was 8. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dkalra | ||
| Stroll for Epilepsy Awareness | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| bookworm03 | ||
| Epilepsy Advocacy | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| krjohnson | ||
| Hello Again, catching up! | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| chandagunn | ||
| PowerPoint to Youtube | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dwightgenius | ||
| The Adventure of WOW Team | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| zhangben | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,002 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,856 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,647 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,463 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,061 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,890 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,853 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,790 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,699 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,590 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Project Uplift | Nov 4, 2009 | |
| tamliniscute | ||
| SEIZURE FREE | Nov 3, 2009 | |
| gracie9933 | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 9, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| Community Feedback on Proposed New epilepsy.com Feature | Sep 30, 2009 | |
| kdredske | ||
| Parent with Child with Epilepsy,Dystonia, and Autism | Sep 24, 2009 | |
| TashaCole | ||
| RX outreach Program | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| mw | ||
| Fun and Games | Sep 22, 2009 | |
| phylisfjohnson | ||
| Epilepsy and Memory Loss?? | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| lindseygthatsme | ||
| Epileptic Postictal Psychosis | Sep 14, 2009 | |
| Bravedefender | ||
| Northern California Volunteers | Sep 11, 2009 | |
| cannemo73 | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Trouble Waters | Sep 3, 2009 | |
| noels mummy | ||
| My Epilepsy Story | Sep 11, 2009 | |
| Kelly G. | ||
| Sudden and Awful | Oct 13, 2009 | |
| kel7 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| My First time | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| SteveDaw | ||
| My Epilepsy | Nov 7, 2009 | |
| amberbrady5384 | ||
| The crazy spiritual journey that is a seizure. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| zeus1223 | ||
| 29 years old; epilepsy since I was 8. | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| dkalra | ||
| my experience with epilepsy | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| Sabia | ||
| Family with Epilepsy | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| thunley | ||
| My Story Of How I Was Diagnosed With Epilepsy. | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| bass_babyx | ||
| Lorrelei71 | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| Lorrelei71 | ||
| i guess this is my life now. | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| RhiannonElizabeth | ||
| Liam's eppie blog | Nov 5, 2009 | |
| Liam.Mc | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,274 | |
| kroiz | ||
| (TLE) seizures, most misunderstood condition | 862 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 466 | |
| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 437 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 416 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 394 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 377 | |
| javaman | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 330 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| Life......... | 329 | |
| dizzygal | ||
| Crystal's story | 326 | |
| Crystal11 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
