Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “EPILEPSY”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Semiquantitative analysis of interictal glucose metabolism between generalized epilepsy and localization related epilepsy.

Positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluoro-D-deoxyglucose (FDG) has been used to detect seizure foci and evaluate surgical resection with localization related epilepsies. However, few investigations have focused on generalized epilepsy in children. To reveal the pathophysiology of generalized epilepsy, we studied 11 patients with generalized epilepsy except West syndrome, and 11 patients with localization related epilepsy without organic disease. The FDG PET was performed by simultaneous emission and transmission scanning. We placed regions of interest (ROI) on bilateral frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, basal ganglia, thalamus and cerebellum. Standardized uptake value (SUV) was measured and normalized to SUV of ipsilateral cerebellum. Then, we compared the data of generalized epilepsy to those of localization related epilepsy. FDG PET revealed significant interictal glucose hypometabolism in bilateral basal ganglia in generalized epilepsy compared to that in localization related epilepsy (right side: p = 0.0095, left side: p = 0.0256, Mann-Whitney test). No other region showed any significant difference (p > 0.05) between the two groups. These findings indicate that the basal ganglia is involved in the outbreak of generalized seizures or is affected secondarily by the epileptogenicity itself.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Epilepsy after central nervous system infection: clinical characteristics and outcome after epilepsy surgery.

Fifty-six (5.8%) patients with partial epilepsy secondary to central nervous system (CNS) infection (meningitis = 20 and encephalitis = 36) were identified from 963 patients studied with prolonged video-EEG monitoring. Twenty-seven (48.2%) patients had unilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (UMTLE), 9 (16.1%) had bilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (BMTLE), and 20 (35.7%) had neocortical epilepsy (NE). Younger age at infection and prolonged latency between the time of infection and development of epilepsy were predictive factors for UMTLE. Predictors for BMTLE were late age of infection and short latency between infection and epilepsy development. Development of NE was associated with short latency between infection and epilepsy, and younger age at infection. When outcome after temporal lobectomy was compared between the UMTLE group and a control group with UMTLE without history of CNS infection, no statistically significant differences were found. Central nervous system infection may lead to epilepsy, which in many cases, is generated by a single portion of the brain. In such cases, epilepsy surgery should be considered, as in patients without history of CNS infection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Relative frequency of different types of epilepsy: a study employing the classification of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Approximately three-quarters of epileptic patients seen in consultation by specialists can easily be assigned to one of the diagnostic categories of the International League against Epilepsy. When patient age is taken into account, such a distribution shows that partial epilepsy is more common than generalized epilepsy (62% versus 38%) in patients of all ages, especially in those over 15 years of age (78% versus 22%). In contrast, generalized epilepsy is more frequent in subjects under 15 than partial epilepsy (55% versus 45%). In this younger age group the rarity of partial epilepsy is primarily due to the infrequency of temporal lobe epilepsy (21% of cases, as opposed to 56% in subjects over 15), whereas both primary and secondary generalized epilepsy contribute to the frequency of generalized epilepsy in this group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Epilepsy as a consequence of cerebral malaria in area in which malaria is endemic in Mali, West Africa.

PURPOSE: Cerebral malaria (CM) is suspected to be a potential cause of epilepsy in tropical areas, but little information is available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of CM in epilepsy among children in Mali. METHODS: An exposed-nonexposed study was performed to identify children who had epilepsy after malaria in the 0- to 15-year age group. The exposure factor was CM defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and the nonexposure factor was symptomatic malaria without the characteristics of CM (NCM). All the children underwent a screening questionnaire and were examined by a medical physician. After the screening phase, a specialist in neuropediatrics examined the children suspected to have epilepsy. EEG and computed tomography (CT) scans were performed in some of these patients. RESULTS: In total, 101 subjects who had had CM and 222 who had had NCM were included. Fifty-four children (CM, 34; NCM, 20) were suspected to have epilepsy, and six were confirmed (CM, five; NCM, one). The incidence rate was 17.0 per 1000 person-years in the CM group and 1.8 per 1000 person-year in the NCM group; thus the relative risk (RR) was 9.4 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-80.3; p = 0.02]. After adjustment on age and duration of follow-up, the RR was 14.3 (95% CI, 1.6-132.0; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of sequelar epilepsy is significantly higher in the CM group compared with the NCM group. A reevaluation of this cohort should be carried out later to search for temporal epilepsy that appeared after age 10 years.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Epilepsy syndrome, focus location, and treatment choice affect testicular function in men with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate testicular function in men with epilepsy treated with different antiepileptic drugs (AED) vs no drugs. METHODS: Two hundred men with epilepsy (mean age 36 years) were investigated. Inclusion criteria included one or no AED, no co-medication, and no endocrine co-morbidity. Findings were compared with those from 105 healthy men (mean age 33.9 years). Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), free testosterone (free T), and inhibin B were measured. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-eight men had focal epilepsy (117 of these had temporal lobe epilepsy [TLE]) and 22 idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE). Thirty-three men were not on AED; 124 men received enzyme-inducing AED. Free T was lowered in all patient subgroups, and the T/LH ratio was lowered in all groups except patients with IGE and patients receiving valproate (VPA). T was lower in patients with temporal than extratemporal focal epilepsy. Compared with TLE patients on carbamazepine (CBZ), patients treated with VPA had higher total T and lower LH values, resulting in a significantly lower T/LH ratio with CBZ. CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy, especially TLE, adversely affects testicular endocrine function. CBZ may increase the negative effects of epilepsy on serum levels of reproductive hormones.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Partial epilepsy with pericentral spikes: a new familial epilepsy syndrome with evidence for linkage to chromosome 4p15.

The genetic analysis of simple Mendelian epilepsies remains a key strategy in advancing our understanding of epilepsy. In this article, we describe a new family epilepsy syndrome, partial epilepsy with pericentral spikes, which we map to chromosome 4p15. We distinguish it clinically, electrophysiologically, and genetically from previously described Mendelian epilepsies. The family described is a large Brazilian kindred of Portuguese extraction in which affected family members manifest a variety of seizure types, including hemiclonic, hemitonic, generalized tonic-clonic, simple partial (stereotyped episodes of epigastric pain), and complex partial seizures consistent with temporal lobe epilepsy. The syndrome is benign, either requiring no treatment or responding to a single antiepileptic medication. Seizure onset is in the first or second decades of life, with seizures in individuals up to the age of 71 years and documented encephalogram changes up to the age of 30 years. A key feature of partial epilepsy with pericentral spikes is a characteristic encephalogram abnormality of spikes or sharp waves in the pericentral region (centroparietal, centrofrontal, or centrotemporal). This distinctive encephalogram abnormality of pericentral spikes unites these several seizure types into a discrete family epilepsy syndrome. As with other familial epilepsies, the inherited nature of this new syndrome may be overlooked because of the variability in penetrance and seizure types among affected family members.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Effect of seizure on hippocampus in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and neocortical epilepsy: an MRS study.

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of seizures on the bilateral hippocampus in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) and neocortical epilepsy by single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Forty-one patients with mTLE having unilateral hippocampal sclerosis and 43 patients with a neocortical epilepsy who underwent subsequent epilepsy surgery were recruited. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals of N-acetyl aspartate/choline (NAA/Cho) and NAA/creatine (NAA/Cr) ratios in 20 healthy control subjects were used as threshold values to determine abnormal NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr. NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr were significantly lower in the ipsilateral hippocampus of mTLE and neocortical epilepsy. Using asymmetry indices for patients with bilaterally abnormal ratios of NAA/Cho and NAA/Cr in addition to using unilateral abnormal ratio, the seizure focus was correctly lateralized in 65.9% of patients with mTLE and 48.8% of neocortical epilepsy patients. Bilateral NAA/Cho abnormality was significantly related to a poor surgical outcome in mTLE. No significant relationship was found between the results of NAA/Cho or NAA/Cr and surgical outcome in neocortical epilepsy. The mean contralateral NAA/Cr ratio of the hippocampus in mTLE was significantly lower in patients with a history of secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizure (SGTCS) than in those without. Our results demonstrate effects of seizures on the hippocampi in neocortical epilepsy and the relation between SGTCS and NAA/Cr of the contralateral hippocampus in mTLE. This proves the presence of a seizure effect on the hippocampus in neocortical epilepsy as well as in mTLE.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Epilepsy in the UK: misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and undertreatment? The Wrexham area epilepsy project.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties in patients with epilepsy who had never come into contact with specialist services. METHODS: Assessment was offered to 676 patients diagnosed as having epilepsy and receiving anti-epileptic drug therapy (AED), who had no previous contact with the local epilepsy services. Two hundred and seventy-five patients gave consent and attended for reassessment. We identified the proportion of patients (a) who had previously seen a neurologist, (b) in whom the diagnosis of epilepsy was not secure, (c) in whom planned AED withdrawal could be considered (d) in whom seizure control could be improved. RESULTS: 53/275 (19.3%) of those attending for review had previously been seen by a neurologist. 87/275 (31.6%) patients ultimately received continued specialist care. Diagnostic doubt was expressed in 3/53 (5.6%) and 42/222 (18.9%) of patients diagnosed by neurologist and non-specialist, respectively. Of 133/219 (60.7%) of patients whose epilepsy was in remission, only 6 elected to withdraw or change medication. Of 18 patients with diagnostic doubt who accepted follow-up, 12 successfully stopped treatment. 17/55 (30.9%) patients with active epilepsy (10 partial, 7 generalised) achieved at least a 1 year remission consequent upon treatment in this clinic. In 15 cases this was a first ever remission. CONCLUSION: Approximately 55% of the population of adults receiving treatment for epilepsy have never received specialist advice. Reassessment of these patients uncovers diagnostic uncertainty, failure to classify (leading to sub-optimal therapy) and lack of information and advice about all aspects of epilepsy care. The development of integrated services for people with epilepsy (PWE) must take account of this hidden need. The new General Medical Services contract for general practitioners will bring this need to our attention, and our experience will help predict the measures required to deal with the under-treatent and mistreatment of this group. The majority of PWE, not currently receiving shared care, merit reassessment and approximately one-third will require continued specialist care. Existing services do not have the capacity to process a marked increase in rate of referral. This project informs prioritisation of referrals and service reorganisation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Teachers' knowledge about epilepsy and attitudes toward students with epilepsy: results of a national survey.

The attitudes and epilepsy-related knowledge of teachers are an important component of the educational experiences of children with epilepsy. Unfortunately however, the exploration of teacher attitudes and knowledge has been extremely limited in the United States. This article describes a survey-based research study of the attitudes and epilepsy-related knowledge of a randomly selected national sample of 512 elementary and middle school teachers in the United States. The questionnaire included the Scale of Attitudes Toward Persons with Epilepsy (ATPE), a summated rating scale that measures both attitudes toward persons with epilepsy and knowledge about epilepsy, as well as a demographic and teaching experience survey and several additional attitude and knowledge items developed by the researchers. The results suggest that although teachers' attitudes about epilepsy were generally positive, there were significant deficits in terms of general knowledge about epilepsy, its impact in educational settings, and the appropriate management of epilepsy and seizures in the classroom. Critical areas in which to focus remedial education and outreach efforts are identified.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

An audit of the organization of adult epilepsy services in the UK: a comparative review of epilepsy and general neurology clinics.

A survey of all consultant neurologists was carried out to investigate the current provision of hospital-based adult epilepsy services in the UK and to compare the level of services offered by epilepsy and general neurology clinics. The valid response rate was 75%. Fifty-four epilepsy clinics were identified led by 43 neurologists in 46 hospitals. Over half the major neurological centres represented in the dataset had epilepsy clinics (31/58). Epilepsy clinics were significantly more likely than general neurology clinics to have on-site provision of a wide range of relevant investigations and associated specialists, and also shorter waiting times to see new patients with suspected seizures. There were also significant differences between epilepsy clinics and general neurology clinics in the provision of written information and counselling. Epilepsy clinics have definite advantages for patients over general neurology clinics in improving access to investigations and specialists and provision of psychosocial support, but the extent to which these translate into positive health outcomes needs further evaluation. A second survey of directors of public health concerning purchasing arrangements for epilepsy services confirmed that purchasers, as yet, are making little use of the contracting process to influence the quality of epilepsy services offered by providers of care.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMed1998

Epilepsies among twins born in families of Indian probands with epilepsy.

Twins have a high frequency of adverse perinatal events and have been reported to have an increased risk of seizures. Contrary to popular belief, a recent study reported that twins do not have an increased risk of seizures. We studied the relationship of twinning and epilepsy in India. The frequency of twinning in families of probands with epilepsy was compared with the frequency of twinning among hospital births in the same region of India. We also compared consecutively ascertained probands with epilepsy for their twin status and the occurrence of epilepsies in their twin and non-twin relatives. The frequency of twin births in families of 524 probands with epilepsy was comparable to the twin births among consecutive deliveries over a 3-year period in another government hospital in the same catchment area (1:99 vs. 1:75). Every 1 in 58 of probands with epilepsy was a twin while a twin was born in these families every 1 in 71 live births. The frequency of epilepsy in non-proband twin relatives was 1.5% compared with 2% among non-proband, non-twin relatives. This data suggests that twin birth is not a major risk factor for seizures even in families of Indian probands with epilepsy. Family data such as ours can be used to study the contribution by genetic factors in the pathogenesis of complex genetic diseases such as human epilepsies.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The impact of epilepsy on the quality of life of people with epilepsy in Zimbabwe: a pilot study.

Epilepsy is a common cause of psychosocial disability and has been perceived to have a profound impact on the social functioning of individuals with epilepsy. In Zimbabwe a combination of developing world economic priorities (with provision of social and health services for disabled people not a major goal) and culturally mediated perceptions of epilepsy as a non-medical and feared stigma may further disadvantage people with epilepsy (PWE) in this respect. In order to assess both the level of psychosocial functioning of individuals with epilepsy and their own perception of it, three groups of people were sampled: attenders at a specialized epilepsy clinic and members of two community-based support groups. All completed a brief quality-of-life questionnaire with activities of daily living added. Those carers present completed the same questionnaire at the time of sampling. The results indicated that 36 of 38 people with epilepsy sampled, and their carers, did not perceive themselves to have sufficient cognitive impairment to interfere with social functioning, work performance or relationships with other as assessed by a subsection of the WHO SIDAM (objective evaluation of cognitive performance) interview. However, an adapted activities of daily Living Questionnaire (ADLQ) showed that three-quarters of carers (and two-thirds of PWE) felt that functioning was mildly to moderately reduced, particularly in the areas of solving daily problems and speed of thinking. One-quarter of PWE experienced problems with relationships to others, just less than one-fifth of PWE reported more than four areas of reduced functioning. Of special interest was the fact that 25 (66%) reported sexual functioning as not applicable, although only four of these were of an age group which is not sexually active (less than 15 years old). In addition one-third of the central Hospital Group reported difficulties with using public transport, but none of the Community Support Group members, implying that the use of Public transport becomes an issue when it is necessary to travel long distances and that PWE curtail their travel but do not necessarily view this as a restriction. The samples chosen were from groups which, compared with PWE as a whole, are likely to include more disabled individuals, because attenders at a specialized epilepsy clinic and members of support groups self-select for more symptomatic epilepsy and a visibility. Therefore the proportion of PWE perceived to have difficulties with ADL in this project is not representative for PWE as a whole. The implications of our study are firstly that there is a significant need for selected groups of PWE in Zimbabwe to receive attention to psychosocial abilities and secondly that there are certain specific areas such as sexual functioning and the use of transport which deserve special attention. A much more detailed inventory of neuro-psychological tests will be of value to plan treatment strategies for those selected by the crude screening instruments used in this project. An important future comparison will be a survey of ADL and psychosocial functioning amongst PWE in rural communities, because it is uncertain whether PWE in rural communities are generally more or less disabled than those in the city.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Antibodies to glutamate receptor subtype 3 (GluR3) are found in some patients suffering from epilepsy as the main disease, but not in patients whose epilepsy accompanies antiphospholipid syndrome or Sneddon's syndrome.

Autoantibodies (Ab's) to the "B" peptide (amino acids 372-395) of glutamate/AMPA receptor subtype 3 (GluR3) are found in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of some patients with different types of epilepsy. Since such anti-GluR3B Ab's can activate and/or kill neurons in vitro and in vivo, they may contribute to epilepsy. To investigate whether anti-GluR3B Ab's may also be relevant to epilepsy when it accompanies some autoimmune-diseases, we tested for these Ab's in patients suffering from epilepsy that accompanies anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) or Sneddon's syndrome (SNS), both being autoimmune-diseases with frequent neurological complications. We tested 77 pediatric patients whose epilepsy is their main disease; 31 adult patients whose epilepsy accompanies APS (primary or SLE-associated) or SNS; 45 epilepsy-free APS and SNS patients; and 90 healthy controls. Compared to the controls, significantly elevated anti-GluR3B Ab's were found in 22/77 (29%) patients whose epilepsy is their main disease, but in none of the patients whose seizures accompany APS or SNS. Yet, all the APS and SNS patients harbored the characteristic anti-phospholipid Ab's (aPL), directed against cardiolipin and beta2-glycoprotein I, and had lupus anti-coagulant. Thus, anti-GluR3B Ab's are not crossreactive with aPL, and not produced as a non-specific consequence of seizures on the one hand, or autoimmune-diseases on the other. Taken together with new findings accumulated recently in our lab, we suggest that anti-GluR3B Ab's are produced primarily in the periphery due to specific/non-specific "irritation" of the immune system, and that once they reach the brain via a leaky blood-brain barrier they may cause neuronal/glial damage and facilitate the outburst of epilepsy and additional neurological abnormalities. In contrast, the presence of anti-GluR3B Ab's does not seem to increase the probability of developing APS, SNS or the seizures that often accompany these autoimmune-diseases. These findings may have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Preferences concerning epilepsy education: opinions of nurses, physicians, and persons with epilepsy.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether patients with epilepsy treated in outpatient settings would prefer to receive information about epilepsy and its treatment from physicians, nurses or other health care professionals. A second purpose of this study was to determine which health care professionals physicians and nurses believe are able to teach patients about epilepsy. Participants in this study included 59 persons with epilepsy, 73 nurses caring for people with epilepsy, and 38 neurologists and neurosurgeons. Results indicated that people with epilepsy generally prefer physicians to teach about epilepsy and its treatment. Nurses received the most responses about teaching general lifestyle information. Nurses and physicians provided very similar responses to inquiries about which health care professionals were able to teach information about epilepsy. Nurse and physician participants agreed that nurses are the preferred provider of information related to psychological concerns of patients and physicians are the preferred provider of information about the cause and treatment of epilepsy.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Physical activity in children/teens with epilepsy compared with that in their siblings without epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To determine (a) whether children and teens with epilepsy participate in less physical activity and have higher body mass index (BMI) percentiles for age than do their siblings without epilepsy; and (b) what epilepsy-specific factors limit their participation. METHODS: Patients 5-17 years, with a >or=3 month history of epilepsy, a development quotient >or=80, no major motor or sensory impairments, and at least one sibling without epilepsy in a similar age range, were identified from the Neurology Clinic database or at the time of clinic visit. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding sedentary activities and group, individual, and total sports activities. Children aged 11-15 years also completed the physical activity portion of the Health Behavior in School Aged Children questionnaire. Clinic charts were reviewed for seizure type, etiology, frequency, duration of epilepsy, and number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) ever taken. RESULTS: Teens with epilepsy participated in fewer group and total sports activities than did controls and were more likely to be potentially overweight or overweight. Receiving three or more AEDs in the past showed a significant negative correlation with sports participation. Although a trend was noted for those with higher seizure frequency to be less active, no other epilepsy-specific factors or prior seizures or seizure-related injury during a sports event correlated with participation in physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Programs that promote exercise in adolescents with epilepsy should be encouraged to improve their physical, psychological, and social well-being.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Rub epilepsy: a somatosensory evoked reflex epilepsy induced by prolonged cutaneous stimulation.

To delineate rub epilepsy--a type of reflex epilepsy induced by prolonged or repetitive cutaneous stimulation in a circumscribed area of the body--three cases are presented, as well as one of tooth brushing epilepsy for comparison. In all three cases of rub epilepsy, cutaneous stimuli in a particular body area on the left side initially induced a sensory jacksonian march in the middle of, or in close vicinity to, the trigger zone, which led to subsequent unilateral tonic contractions with intact consciousness. By contrast, a motor jacksonian seizure without sensory aura was induced in the patient with tooth brushing epilepsy. A review of cases with rub epilepsy, including those in this paper, disclosed a striking consistency in clinical manifestations. The symptomatology of the induced seizures indicates a propagation of epileptic discharges from the postcentral gyrus to the supplementary motor area. Rub epilepsy is proposed as a separate clinical entity, clearly demarcated from other somatosensory evoked reflex epilepsies such as startle and tooth brushing epilepsy.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Mortality risk in children with epilepsy: the Dutch study of epilepsy in childhood.

OBJECTIVE: Long-term follow-up studies of patients with epilepsy have revealed an increased mortality risk compared with the general population. Mortality of children who have epilepsy in modern times is as yet unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine mortality of children who have epilepsy in comparison with the general population. METHODS: Between August 1988 and August 1992, 472 children, aged 1 month to 16 years, who presented in 1 of the participating hospitals with 2 or more newly diagnosed unprovoked seizures or at least 1 status epilepticus were enrolled in the study. All children were followed for 5 years or until death. The number of deaths observed during follow-up was compared with the expected number of deaths in the same age group in the general population in the Netherlands. RESULTS: Nine children died during follow-up, amounting to a mortality rate of 3.8/1000 person-years, which is sevenfold higher than expected (95% confidence interval = 2.4-11.5). No deaths were observed among the 328 children who had epilepsy of nonsymptomatic cause. All deceased children had epilepsy that was caused by a static or progressive neurologic disorder (mortality risk = 22.9; 95% confidence interval = 7.9-37.9). None of them died from sudden unexpected and unexplained death of epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, we found no indication that children who have nonsymptomatic epilepsy have an increased mortality risk compared with the general population, whereas children who have symptomatic epilepsy have a 20-fold increased mortality risk. These data provide guidance for counseling parents of children who have epilepsy.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epilepsy and seizure classification in 63 dogs: a reappraisal of veterinary epilepsy terminology.

The human definitions of epilepsy and seizure classification were applied rigidly to epileptic dogs to investigate whether the distribution of the seizure types and epilepsies of dogs is comparable to that of human beings. Sixty-three dogs were referred because of recurrent (> 2) epileptic seizures. Only dogs without previous or ongoing antiepileptic treatment were included. All dogs had a physical and neurologic examination and blood work that included a CBC and a biochemical profile. All owners were asked to complete a questionnaire, focusing on seizure development. In addition, video recordings of suspected seizure episodes were analyzed if available. In the majority of dogs where an intracranial lesion was suspected, a computerized tomography scan was performed. Sixty-five percent of the dogs experienced partial seizures with or without secondary generalization and 32% exhibited primary generalized seizures; in 3% of the dogs the seizures could not be classified. Twenty-five percent of these cases were classified as idiopathic, 16% as symptomatic, and 45% as cryptogenic epilepsy; in 14% of these a classification was not possible. Applying human definitions, the distribution of seizure types and epilepsy classifications in these dogs differed widely from those in previous reports of canine epilepsy, where generalized seizures and idiopathic epilepsy were most frequently reported. However, our findings are consistent with the results of several large studies of human epilepsy patients. In dogs with epilepsy, closer attention must be given to the detection of a partial onset of seizures. In this study, detailed questioning of the owners and when possible analysis of video recorded seizures, proved to be sufficient for diagnosing seizures with a partial onset in a significant number of dogs. Partial onset of seizures may be an indication of underlying cerebral pathology. Some adjustments of veterinary epilepsy terminology are suggested.

Animals↗