Malignant Epileptic Syndromes in Infancy

Malignant Epileptic Syndromes in Infancy Period comprise a series of age-related generalized epilepsy syndromes: neonatal myoclonic encephalopathy and early epileptic encephalopathy in the neonatal period, migrating focal seizures in early infancy, West syndrome, severe myoclonic epilepsy and non-progressive myoclonic encephalopathies in infancy, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, myoclonic astatic epilepsy and continuous spike waves in slow sleep in childhood. Clinical and Electroensephalography characteristics are the major diagnostic clues. The aim of this article is to review new epilepsy syndromes, acquire a new understanding of older ones and emphasize the impact of this concept on basic research regarding aetiology and treatment.