Epilepsy syndromes

An epilepsy syndrome is a characteristic cluster of clinical and electroencephalography, or EEG, features, often supported by a specific underlying cause, and it is distinguished by particular seizure types and EEG patterns that typically begin, and sometimes resolve, at specific ages. Recognizing a particular epilepsy syndrome can reveal its underlying cause, guide the choice of treatment and help predict the risk of related problems such as learning difficulties, intellectual disability and ADHD, though not everyone with epilepsy fits a recognized syndrome, and such syndromes are identified most often in children whose seizures begin before age three and are less common in adults. Current classification of epilepsy syndromes follows the 2017 scheme developed by the International League Against Epilepsy, which has renamed or redefined some older syndromes while preserving earlier names for reference.