How did benign rolandic epilepsy get its name?
The name derives from the rolandic area of the brain, which is the part that controls movements. The term “benign” refers to the fact that most children outgrow these seizures by adolescence. The official modern name is “childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes” or CECTS.
When do seizures start in Rolandic epilepsy ( Bre )?
This form of epilepsy is characterized by seizures involving a part of the brain called the rolandic area. These seizures typically begin between the ages of 3 and 12 years and occur during the nighttime. Other features of BRE include headaches or migraines and behavioral and/or learning differences.
Can a child with epilepsy have behavioral problems?
Much less commonly, children may have learning difficulties and behavioral problems during the period of time that they have seizures. The problems typically disappear once the seizures stop and the EEG (electroencephalogram) goes back to normal. The syndrome is more common in children who have close relatives with epilepsy.
What kind of medication do you take for epilepsy?
The seizures usually can be controlled by any of the common seizure medicines. The most commonly used medication is levetiracetam (Keppra). Other medicines including oxcarbazepine, carbamazepine, gabapentin, zonisamide or lacosamide (Vimpat) may also be used. In most cases, seizures respond well to antiseizure medications.
Are there any epilepsies that imitate paroxysmal events?
There are a range of conditions associated with recurrent paroxysmal events that may imitate and be misdiagnosed as epilepsies, these are presented in this section of EpilepsyDiagnosis.org with reference to the epilepsies that they may imitate and important discriminating features.
When do reflex anoxic seizures trigger tonic-clonic seizures?
When reflex anoxic seizures are very frequent, atropine or cardiac pacing may be considered. There is an uncommon situation in which an anoxic seizure may trigger a secondary prolonged tonic-clonic seizure; the anoxic-epileptic seizure.
How can decerebrate posturing mimic a tonic seizure?
The child may cry very briefly or let out a couple of grunts and then becomes exceedingly pale and loses consciousness. Decerebrate posturing with extensor stiffening may mimic a tonic seizure and be followed by flexor spasms and irregular tonic-clonic movements however the whole sequence of abnormal movements will just last a few seconds.