FOCAL EPILEPTIC MYOCLONUS: DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Abstract

The paper describes the clinical, electroencephalographic (EEG), and neuroimaging features of focal epileptic myoclonus (FEM) and the results of therapy in patients with this type of seizure. The latter was identified in 2.5 % of the cases of epilepsy with onset beyond the age of 18 years (n = 1261). The age of onset of FЕМ was from 5 months to 23 years (mean 8.1 ± 1.6 years). The addition of secondary generalized seizures was stated in 90.3% of cases; that of focal motor seizures, epileptic aura, and negative FЕМ was seen in 64.5, 25.8, and 12.8 %, respectively. FЕМ was most commonly located in the flexor muscles of the upper extremities (22.6 %) and facial and upper limb muscles (25.6 %). The regional epileptoform
activity maximally located in the frontocentroparietal leads is a typical EEG pattern of FЕМ in all the patients. Magnetic resonance imaging most frequently revealed diffuse cortical and subcortical atrophy (29 %) and total cortical hemiatrophy (32 %). There was no case of complete remission of FЕМ. Monotherapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) resulted in reduction of FЕМ in only 6.4 % of cases. During duo therapy, there was more than a 50 % reduction in FЕМ in 67.7 %. Our investigation has indicated that active FЕМ is a seizure type resistant to AEDs. This fact necessitates the detection of FЕМ at its early stages in order to predict the course of the disease and search for new therapies for epileptic syndromes associated with this type of seizures.

About the authors

N. E. Kvaskova

Svt. Luka’s Institute of Child Neurology and Epilepsy, Moscow

Author for correspondence.
Email: nekvaskova@mail.ru
Russian Federation

K. Yu. Mukhin

Svt. Luka’s Institute of Child Neurology and Epilepsy, Moscow

Email: fake@neicon.ru
Russian Federation

M. B. Mironov

Svt. Luka’s Institute of Child Neurology and Epilepsy, Moscow

Email: fake@neicon.ru
Russian Federation

References

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML

Copyright (c)



СМИ зарегистрировано Федеральной службой по надзору в сфере связи, информационных технологий и массовых коммуникаций (Роскомнадзор).
Регистрационный номер и дата принятия решения о регистрации СМИ: серия ПИ № ФС 77 - 22926 от  12.01.2006.