|
|
If you (or your loved one) have had a vagus nerve stimulator implanted, what happened after it?
(Note: You must log in or register to participate in this poll.)
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.
No members have contributed to this topic yet: Childhood Absence Epilepsy. Be the first!
Welcome to the Wiki. This space is created for epilepsy.com members to share their own experiences and expertise to help refine and expand the discussion around important topics.
Epilepsy.com Members: If you are a member and wish to be the first to edit this Wiki topic, please make sure to login, then click on the orange "Edit this Wiki" button at the top of this page. Put in your own content about this topic in the Main Body text area and submit the page. Or, learn more about Wikis before you begin.
Register Today: If you are not an epilepsy.com member, register today to get started on this Wiki topic and the many other advantages of being a member.
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Depakote, Behaviors, and personality | Mar 26, 2008 | |
| Still in denial | Feb 16, 2008 | |
| Absence Seizures/Grand Mal | Feb 3, 2008 | |
| Two neurologists, conflicting opinions, what to do? | Feb 18, 2008 | |
| Strips and Grids??? | Jan 17, 2008 | |
| Positive Stories Only | Feb 22, 2008 | |
| New here. Thought my son was having absence seizures, but maybe it's more? | Feb 10, 2008 | |
| EEG while on Keppra/Dilantin...shows normal...duh? | Feb 15, 2008 | |
| absence seizures and food triggers, Zarontin | Mar 6, 2008 | |
| Controlling absence seizures | Mar 12, 2008 |
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Keppra and Alcohol | May 16, 2008 | |
| jppkt | ||
| Sex drive and seizure medications | May 16, 2008 | |
| dfriedman | ||
| life | May 16, 2008 | |
| kevinmo99 | ||
| son newly diagnosed with Absence Seizures | May 16, 2008 | |
| shu | ||
| Controlling absence seizures | May 16, 2008 | |
| shu | ||
| Developmentally Delayed 1 yr. old | May 16, 2008 | |
| kristy_08 | ||
| My parents dont care...I feel soooo alone! | May 16, 2008 | |
| blondestar25 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | May 16, 2008 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Absence Seizure in toddler, need more info! | May 16, 2008 | |
| KellaC32 | ||
| New to site and living with Epilepsy | May 16, 2008 | |
| asking79 | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures....... | 21,809 | |
| spiz | ||
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,169 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,721 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,468 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,297 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 14,075 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 12,254 | |
| George R | ||
| How exactly do aura's feel | 11,992 | |
| WendyBendy | ||
| MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s | 10,952 | |
| picnupthepcs | ||
| Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Part 2 | 9,752 | |
| spiz | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| MY EPITHANY | Feb 17, 2008 | |
| The Latest Blow | Feb 1, 2008 | |
| Me and My Shadow Feb 18 | Feb 18, 2008 | |
| Now What? | Jan 27, 2008 | |
| Finally some answers!!! | Mar 26, 2008 | |
| PSALM 98: MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE!!!! | Mar 31, 2008 | |
| This sounds really bad, but... | Apr 4, 2008 |
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Long Day | May 16, 2008 | |
| kroiz | ||
| DOES IT MATTER IF I BLOG OR NOT? IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. I WISH I COULD CRY. | May 16, 2008 | |
| ROCKNROLL | ||
| I need eye candy and explosions! | May 16, 2008 | |
| stephsobota | ||
| WooHoo! | May 16, 2008 | |
| d00r | ||
| Im not alone | May 16, 2008 | |
| jjogden | ||
| interictal dysphoric disorder | May 16, 2008 | |
| cameo | ||
| Angry with the neuro's office and frustrated by the school situation | May 16, 2008 | |
| Gina Marie | ||
| HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THOSE SPECIAL MOM'S | May 15, 2008 | |
| scratch | ||
| I've Lost My Mind | May 15, 2008 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Looking for answers | May 15, 2008 | |
| ivyrayne | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| This is my own blog...how cool is that | 159 | |
| Niko | 49 | |
| yannie44 | ||
| Mood at the Moment | 33 | |
| spiz | ||
| In college and trying to cope | 30 | |
| tuckerviolinist | ||
| New pictures of Grandbaby Princess Sarah | 28 | |
| txrhb1 | ||
| battlt -becareful what you wish for .... it might come true? | 27 | |
| battlt | ||
| Not In A Good Mood! | 27 | |
| spiz | ||
| Hello All New Here | 26 | |
| KyliesMom | ||
| Epilepsy and anti depressants | 26 | |
| cameo | ||
| EPILEPSY, NON EPILECTIC SEIZURES, HORMORNES, NOT HORMONES | 24 | |
| ROCKNROLL | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Seizures + Weight Loss Surgery | May 15, 2008 | |
| meltingmama | ||
| Epilepsy Innovation Summit May 2008 | May 13, 2008 | |
| warren7 | ||
| Northern Virgina Support Group | May 11, 2008 | |
| Bery | ||
| Epi-teens | May 4, 2008 | |
| Epi-Teen | ||
| FACES Pediatric Subcommittee | May 1, 2008 | |
| Cindy Whiteside Hammerquist | ||
| living with epilepsy and ASD....autistic spectrum disorder | Apr 28, 2008 | |
| sophia_hill | ||
| Pacific NW USA | Apr 21, 2008 | |
| middleman | ||
| Mormons Living With Epilepsy | Apr 13, 2008 | |
| mormongirl | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | Apr 13, 2008 | |
| katfaerie | ||
| Women and epilepsy | Apr 10, 2008 | |
| PurpleCristal85 | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. | May 16, 2008 | |
| sueanne | ||
| shilpa | May 16, 2008 | |
| shilpa | ||
| First seizure at age 25 | May 15, 2008 | |
| suziereno | ||
| its hared but then i found this | May 15, 2008 | |
| dan2work | ||
| Nobody Understands | May 15, 2008 | |
| tmpino76 | ||
| Depakote and Children | May 14, 2008 | |
| twin12 | ||
| what goes around comes around | May 14, 2008 | |
| kelly28 | ||
| Shari Story | May 13, 2008 | |
| sharebear03 | ||
| susu | May 13, 2008 | |
| susu | ||
| Ayden's Story | May 13, 2008 | |
| aydensvoice | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| no comment Aetna rejects epileptics for insurance now! | 440 | |
| wenko | ||
| my story | 423 | |
| snoby | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 360 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 347 | |
| crashllama | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 331 | |
| javaman | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 309 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| Jessica Roiz | 291 | |
| kroiz | ||
| How I found out I hade seizures | 271 | |
| HilaryWeinberg | ||
| Crystal's story | 267 | |
| Crystal11 | ||
| Nocturnal grand mal seizures (primary generalized epilepsy) | 267 | |
| karalyeva | ||
| View all Stories | ||
