Junior Myoclonic Epilepsy

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME) [ [http://www.e-epilepsy.org.uk/pages/articles/show_article.cfm?id=33 E-epilepsy - The significance of the syndromic diagnosis of the epilepsies ] ] is an idiopathic generalized epileptic syndrome with distinctive clinical and EEG features. Prevalence is 8-10% among adult patients with seizures. It is characterized by myoclonic jerks on awakening, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and typical absences, which occur in around one-third of patients. Seizures have an age-related onset. Myoclonic jerks are the defining seizures starting in the mid-teens and occurring mainly on awakening, particularly after sleep deprivation. The tendency to seizures is probably life-long. The management of JME differs from standard medical practice for the treatment of ‘epilepsy' in several important respects.

An editorial in the Lancet by Grunewald and Panayiotopoulos in 1992 states the following: ‘There is no better example of the importance of syndrome classification than juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. JME accounts for between 5.4% and 10.2% of cases of epilepsy, but, despite clinical and electroencephalographic features that should enable its easy identification, the rate of misdiagnosis remains high. Accepted practice for management of ‘epilepsy' will often be inappropriate in this condition - e.g. the withholding of treatment in patients who have had a single generalized tonic-clonic seizure, drug withdrawal after two or three years' freedom from seizures, and stopping sodium valproate or substituting carbamazepine in women who plan to become pregnant. Accurate diagnosis does more than improve patient management and well-being; it also allows proper advice on prognosis, genetic risk, and employment. Failure to diagnose JME represents a serious medical error.

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy doesn't stop people from going to Spurn,or enjoying themselves lords.

[ [http://www.aafp.org/afp/980401ap/marks.html Management of Seizures and Epilepsy - April 1, 1998 - American Academy of Family Physicians ] ]

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