Pediatric Epilepsy – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering essential terms, syndromes, investigations, treatments and mimics discussed in the pediatric epilepsy lecture.

Seizure

Any sudden, transient attack of altered motor, sensory, autonomic or psychic activity.

Epileptic Seizure

A transient occurrence of signs or symptoms due to excessive and synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.

First-Seizure Management

Assessment with ECG, EEG, and risk evaluation; most children are not treated after a single unprovoked event because recurrence risk is <50 %.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Recording of brain electrical activity; helps classify seizure type, predict recurrence, and identify epilepsy syndromes.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Preferred neuro-imaging for focal seizures; detects structural lesions guiding diagnosis and surgery.

Status Epilepticus

A seizure or series of seizures lasting ≥30 min (or ≥5 min for tonic-clonic); medical emergency.

Epilepsy Syndrome

A cluster of features (seizure type, age, EEG, etiology, comorbidities) that define a distinct epilepsy disorder.

Hypsarrhythmia

Chaotic, high-amplitude EEG pattern characteristic of infantile spasms.

Infantile Spasms (West Syndrome)

Age-dependent epileptic encephalopathy with clusters of spasms, hypsarrhythmia and developmental arrest.

Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome

Severe childhood epilepsy with multiple seizure types, slow spike-and-wave EEG and intellectual disability.

Dravet Syndrome

Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, usually SCN1A-related; febrile hemiclonic status, developmental slowing and drug resistance.

Self-Limited Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (Rolandic)

Common benign focal epilepsy of childhood with nocturnal oral–facial motor seizures and typical centro-temporal EEG spikes.

Childhood Absence Epilepsy

Primary-school onset of frequent 3 Hz generalized spike-wave ‘staring spells’ precipitated by hyperventilation; ethosuximide first-line.

Juvenile Absence Epilepsy

Absence seizures beginning in early adolescence with fewer absences but more generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy

Lifelong generalized epilepsy with morning myoclonus, tonic-clonic seizures and photosensitivity; valproate highly effective.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Focal epilepsy featuring déjà-vu, epigastric aura, impaired awareness and automatisms; often due to hippocampal sclerosis.

Frontal Lobe Epilepsy

Brief, clustered nocturnal motor seizures with vocalization and rapid recovery; may be autosomal-dominant.

Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

Acquired epileptic aphasia with ESES (continuous spike-wave in sleep) and language regression.

Febrile Seizure

A seizure with fever in 6 m–6 y child without CNS infection; developmental delay raises epilepsy risk.

SCN1A Gene

Encodes neuronal Na⁺ channel; mutations cause febrile-seizure syndromes including Dravet.

Sodium Valproate

Broad-spectrum antiseizure drug; first-line for idiopathic generalized epilepsy but highly teratogenic.

Lamotrigine

Na⁺-channel blocker; first-choice for focal epilepsy and women of child-bearing age; must titrate slowly to avoid rash.

Levetiracetam

Broad-spectrum ASM excreted unchanged by kidney; useful when liver disease present.

Carbamazepine

Sodium-channel ASM for focal seizures; risk of Stevens-Johnson in HLA-B*15:02 carriers.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS)

Severe mucocutaneous hypersensitivity reaction linked to aromatic ASMs like carbamazepine and lamotrigine.

DRESS Syndrome

Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms; most commonly triggered by carbamazepine, phenytoin or phenobarbital.

Teratogenicity

Capacity of a drug to cause fetal malformations; highest with valproate, lower with lamotrigine and levetiracetam.

Ketogenic Diet

High-fat, low-carbohydrate dietary therapy producing ketosis; effective for refractory childhood epilepsies.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)

Implanted device delivering periodic vagal pulses to reduce seizure burden in drug-resistant epilepsy.

Epilepsy Surgery

Resection or disconnection procedure considered for medically resistant focal epilepsy, especially temporal lobe.

Breath-Holding Spell

Benign cyanotic or pallid syncope in toddlers precipitated by crying or pain; not epileptic.

Syncope

Transient loss of consciousness from cerebral hypoperfusion; vasovagal or cardiac; may include brief myoclonic jerks.

Benign Sleep Myoclonus

Repetitive limb jerks in quiet sleep of infants; stops on arousal, normal EEG.

Tic Disorder

Brief, suppressible, stereotyped motor or vocal outbursts often mistaken for seizures.