Neonatal seizures and epileptic syndromes of neonatal onset

Neonatal seizures are often a symptom of, or a reaction to, acute central nervous system insults. However, some epileptic disorders start in the neonatal period and persist beyond the first months of life, and are considered epileptic syndromes. Early myoclonic encephalopathy and early infantile epileptic encephalopathy are the most severe ones; they are usually resistant to therapy and have a severe outcome. As epileptic activity determines cognitive, sensory and motor function deterioration, the main urgent goal is to reduce (or possibly suppress) the number of seizures and reach a better interictal EEG. An early identification of the specific type of epileptic syndrome could lead to a specific therapeutic approach and to a better prognosis.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reaxys Database Information|