Recognizing and classifying epileptic seizures and epileptic syndromes

The appropriate diagnosis of the patient with epilepsy is first dependent on a determination of the type of seizure. When the type of seizure has been determined, consideration must be given to the nature of the epileptic syndrome, including concerns regarding the etiology of the attacks. The gradual evolution of the various classification schemes of epileptic seizures and epileptic syndromes complicates the task of the physician but also affords evidence of the dynamism extant in clinical epilepsy research. Intensive monitoring will assist not only in the diagnosis of the individual patient but also in the long-term re-evaluation and revision of the empirical classifications.