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Chapter 9 - Neonatal Onset Epilepsy

from Part II - Practice of Neuromonitoring: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 September 2022

By
Akihisa Okumura
Edited by
Cecil D. Hahn  and
Courtney J. Wusthoff
Cecil D. Hahn
Affiliation:
The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
Courtney J. Wusthoff
Affiliation:
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University
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Summary

Neonatal onset epilepsies are infrequent compared with neonatal seizures caused by acute symptomatic etiologies. Etiologies of neonatal epilepsies are classified into structural, genetic, and metabolic causes. EEG and amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) are essential for the diagnosis and monitoring of these conditions. EEG/aEEG findings often differ substantially among infants; unusual findings, such as downward seizure patterns on aEEG, can be found. Focal-onset seizures are very frequent, and epileptic spasms are infrequently observed. Myoclonic seizures with ictal EEG correlates and generalized tonic seizures are exceptional. Although burst suppression is known as the EEG hallmark of early infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE) and early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME), the definition of “burst suppression” differs among researchers. Additional information is necessary to better understand the EEG/aEEG findings related to neonatal epilepsies and to clarify their utility in the diagnosis of neonatal epilepsies and monitoring the efficacy of treatment.

Keywords

neonateepilepsyEEGaEEGOhtahara syndromebenign familial neonatal seizuresearly infantile epileptic encephalopathy (EIEE)early myoclonic encephalopathy (EME)brain malformation
Type
Chapter
Information
Neuromonitoring in Neonatal and Pediatric Critical Care , pp. 126 - 136
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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