Autoimmune encephalopathies and epilepsies in children and teenagers

Lily C Wong-Kisiel1, Andrew McKeon, Elaine C Wirrell

  • 1Division of Child and Adolescent Neurology, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.

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Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease marked by recurrent, unpredictable seizures. These seizures are caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, leading to behavior, sensation, or consciousness alterations. They can also cause transient impairment of awareness, interfering with daily activities.
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Recurrent seizures, stemming from abnormal electrical activity in the brain, are the defining characteristic of epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition. Because seizure features vary greatly, epilepsy is classified using two systems: by seizure type and by epilepsy syndromes. These classifications enable clinicians to describe seizure patterns and select suitable treatment strategies.I. Classification by Seizure Type1. Focal EpilepsyFocal epilepsy begins in one hemisphere of the brain.
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