Question
What are the causes of benign familial infantile seizures?
Answer
Benign familial infantile seizures are more common in females, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2. The genetic pattern is autosomal dominant inheritance. During an attack, symptoms include the cessation of movement, dazedness, head and eye deviation to one side, increased muscle tone, or cyanosis. This is followed by unilateral clonic seizures of one limb, which may spread to synchronous or asynchronous clonic movements on both sides. EEG is normal during the interictal period. Between consecutive attacks, unilateral slow waves and sharp-slow waves can be recorded in the parietooccipital region. The recruitment rhythm of the EEG during the ictal period originates in one side’s central parietooccipital area and subsequently spreads to one hemisphere and the entire brain.