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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy
10:22

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

Published on: December 6, 2016

Partial epilepsy with seizures appearing in the first three years of life

L Oller-Daurella1, L F Oller

  • 1Antiepileptic Center PENEPA, Hospital General de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Epilepsia
|November 1, 1989
PubMed

Insights

Early-onset partial epilepsy in children can be challenging to diagnose. Atypical presentations and seizure-free intervals may lead to missed diagnoses in young epileptic patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Epileptology

Background:

  • Partial epilepsy can manifest in early childhood.
  • Diagnosis of epilepsy in the first three years of life presents unique challenges.
  • Understanding initial seizure patterns is crucial for accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the initial clinical presentations of partial epilepsy in infants and young children.
  • To identify factors that may contribute to delayed or missed diagnoses of early-onset partial epilepsy.
  • To analyze seizure patterns preceding the development of partial epilepsy in this age group.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of medical records of 5,000 epileptic patients.
  • Identification of 154 cases with partial epilepsy onset within the first three years of life.
  • Analysis of initial seizure types, including partial, hemiclonic, and generalized seizures.

Main Results:

  • 35 patients had initial partial seizures; 57 had partial seizures preceded by hemiclonics (70% as status epilepticus).
  • 62 patients initially presented with generalized seizures (17 grand mal, 14 clonic/myoclonic, 31 tonic/atonic).
  • 31 of 119 patients experienced a seizure-free interval before developing partial epilepsy.

Conclusions:

  • Atypical initial presentations and seizure-free intervals can obscure the diagnosis of partial epilepsy in early childhood.
  • Increased awareness and vigilance are needed to avoid underdiagnosis of partial epilepsies in the first years of life.
  • Further research into early diagnostic markers for pediatric partial epilepsy is warranted.

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