[Affective symptoms during attacks of epilepsy in children (author's transl)]

The authors present the results of an electroclinical study in 20 children (16 girls and 4 boys) having epileptic attacks with affective symptoms of a terrifying type. These were often interpreted (6/20) initially as nocturnal terrors or acute anxiety attacks. In 8 cases (40%) there was a previous family history of epilepsy. The age of onset was between 2 and 10 years. The attacks occurred several times during the 24 hours, both day and night, but were controlled rapidly and permanently (4 children over 15 years of age have had no further attacks 4 years after discontinuing treatment), and neurological and intellectual development was normal. This benign progression is correlated with a homogeneous critical and intercritical electroclinical picture enabling an early favorable prognosis to be made. The classification of this type of epilepsy, and its analogy with epilepsy with rolandic spikes is discussed.