Vidyya Medical News Service

Volume 3 Issue 152 Published - 14:00 UTC 08:00 EST 5-Sep-2001 Next Update - 14:00 UTC 08:00 EST 6-Sep-2001	Editor: Susan K. Boyer, RN © RAmEx Ars Medica, Inc. All rights reserved.

	Information For Patients: NINDS Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Information Page Table of Contents (click to jump to sections) What is Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome? Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? Selected references Organizations What is Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome? Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy (a seizure disorder). It usually develops in children between 1 and 8 years old and is characterized by several types of seizures, developmental delay, and behavioral disturbances such as poor social skills and attention-seeking behavior. Most children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome experience some degree of impaired intellectual functioning or information processing. The disorder may be caused by brain injury, severe brain infections, genetic brain diseases, or developmental malformations of the brain. In some cases, no cause can be found. Seizure types, which vary among patients, include tonic (stiffening of the body, upward deviation of the eyes, dilation of the pupils, and altered respiratory patterns), atonic (brief loss of muscle tone and consciousness, causing abrupt falls), atypical absence (staring spells), and myoclonic (sudden muscle jerks). There may be periods of frequent seizures mixed with brief, relatively seizure-free periods. Is there any treatment? Treatment for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome may include anti-epileptic medication to control seizures. However, the types of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome are generally difficult to control due to their resistance to most anti-epileptic drugs. What is the prognosis? The prognosis for individuals with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome varies. There is no cure for the disorder. Complete recovery including freedom from seizures and normal development is very unusual. What research is being done? The NINDS conducts and supports a broad program of basic and clinical research on epilepsy including Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. These studies are aimed at finding the causes of these disorders, improving the diagnosis, and developing new medications and other therapies. Selected references Bradley, W, et al (eds) Neurology in Clinical Practice: The Neurological Disorders vol. II, 2nd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, Boston, p. 1637 (1996) Glauser, T. Pediatric Epilepsy Syndromes Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 7:6; 640-649 (December 1995) Magalini, S, et al (eds) Dictionary of Medical Syndromes 4th edition, J.B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, pp. 482-483 (1997) Roger, J, Dravet, C, and Bureaus, M. The Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 56:(Suppl. Part 2); S172-S180 (1991) Rowland, L (ed). Merritt's Textbook of Neurology 10th edition, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, pp. 815-816 (2000) Organizations Epilepsy Foundation 4351 Garden City Drive Suite 406 Landover, MD 20785-2267 postmaster@efa.org http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org Tel: 301-459-3700 800-EFA-1000 (332-1000) Fax: 301-577-2684 This fact sheet is in the public domain. You may copy it. Provided by: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institutes of Health

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