ABSTRACT
Seizures are the most common neurological emergency in the neonatal period and in contrast to those in infancy and childhood, are often provoked seizures with an acute cause and may be electrographic-only. Hence, neonatal seizures may not fit easily into classification schemes for seizures and epilepsies primarily developed for older children and adults. A Neonatal Seizures Task Force was established by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) to develop a modification of the 2017 ILAE Classification of Seizures and Epilepsies, relevant to neonates. The neonatal classification framework emphasizes the role of electroencephalography (EEG) in the diagnosis of seizures in the neonate and includes a classification of seizure types relevant to this age group. The seizure type is determined by the predominant clinical feature. Many neonatal seizures are electrographic-only with no evident clinical features; therefore, these are included in the proposed classification. Clinical events without an EEG correlate are not included. Because seizures in the neonatal period have been shown to have a focal onset, a division into focal and generalized is unnecessary. Seizures can have a motor (automatisms, clonic, epileptic spasms, myoclonic, tonic), non-motor (autonomic, behavior arrest), or sequential presentation. The classification allows the user to choose the level of detail when classifying seizures in this age group.
Subject(s)
Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/classification , Epilepsy/classification , Seizures/classification , Advisory Committees , Diagnosis, Differential , Electroencephalography , Epilepsy/diagnosis , Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/diagnosis , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Seizures/diagnosisSubject(s)
Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/classification , Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/genetics , Age Factors , Age of Onset , Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/diagnosis , Genetic Variation/genetics , Genotype , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , KCNQ1 Potassium Channel/genetics , KCNQ3 Potassium Channel/genetics , NAV1.2 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel , Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics , Sodium Channels/genetics , Terminology as TopicABSTRACT
Continuous synchronized video-EEG-polygraphic recordings allow us to better define the electroclinical patterns of epileptic events and to study the semiological features of neonatal seizures. Recently, complex behaviours and motor automatisms in newborns have been reported as being epileptic in nature. However, the debate on physiopathology (cortical or brainstem release phenomena) is ongoing. We present the synchronized video-EEG documentation of epileptic complex motor behaviours in a newborn male. Our case contributes to the discussion regarding the semiological classification of the neonatal seizures.[Published with video sequences].
Subject(s)
Automatism/diagnosis , Epilepsy, Partial, Motor/diagnosis , Seizures/diagnosis , Automatism/classification , Electroencephalography/statistics & numerical data , Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/classification , Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/diagnosis , Epilepsy, Partial, Motor/classification , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Monitoring, Physiologic/statistics & numerical data , Motor Activity/physiology , Seizures/classification , Syndrome , Terminology as Topic , Videotape RecordingSubject(s)
Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/classification , Seizures/classification , Adolescent , Age Factors , Autonomic Nervous System Diseases/classification , Autonomic Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Consensus , Electroencephalography , Epilepsy, Benign Neonatal/physiopathology , Humans , Seizures/physiopathology , SyndromeABSTRACT
Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) are characterized by unprovoked seizures during the first weeks of life with spontaneous remission after a few months. Mutations have been identified in the voltage-gated potassium ion channels KCNQ2 and KCNQ3. The authors performed a mutation analysis of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 in six patients of whom four had no family history of neonatal seizures. The authors identified three KCNQ2 mutations in four patients that all arose de novo.
