[Electro-clinical and developmental forms of epilepsy as a function of their appearance at different ages of life]

The authors review the different electroclinical varieties and the evolution of epilepsy that appear in the six principal age groups: newborn, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adult and aged. The aim of this study is to answer the following questions: on one hand to find out if there exists in newborn, infant or young child, a form of epilepsy entirely functional, dependent on a constitutional epileptic predisposition transmitted on a genetic basis, which correspond to the primary generalized epilepsy of the other age groups. If that is so, to find out this mode of expression. On the other hand, to confirm whether the proportion of primary generalized epilepsy varies according to the different ages of life, revealing a chance in the predisposition during life. The authors propose the following answers to the above-mentioned questions: there exists at birth a principally, functional form of epilepsy in relation to a constitutional predisposition. The usual electroclinical criteria are not applicable in this age group due to brain immadurity, so it is not possible to identify this variety. The progressive development of the brain in the infant and young child permits the clinical and electrical individualization of generalized fits as distinct from Petit or Gran Mal. These facts make it possible to confirm the existence of a principally functional epilepsy which corresponds to the primary generalized epilepsy of the adolescent and older child. The epileptic predisposition, principal factor responsible for primary generalized epilepsy, varies considerably during life. The authors presume that its incidence differs in each age group. Based on the frequency of hyperthermic fits in the infant and young child, the predisposition should be important in this age group, although the actual proportion of primary generalized epilepsy is difficult to quantify. In the older child it is possible to admit that the epileptic predisposition is greater because primary generalized epilepsy represents more than a third of the types of fits observed. This tendence is even greater in adolescence, where this form of epilepsy represents over three quarters of the patients. In the adult and aged patients, the epileptic tendency diminishes progressively, as can be seen comparing the proportion of primary forms of epilepsy with other types (25% young adult, 9% mature adult and 1% in the aged).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)