1. Severe form of epilepsy that begins in childhood, usually before 4 years of age. Typically have different types of seizures (Tonic, atypical, atonic, myoclonic and generalized tonic-clonic). (Nih.gov, n.d.).
1.1. No cause found in 30-35 percent of cases and is hard to treat but can be caused by brain malformations, tuberous sclerosis, perinatal asphyxia, severe head injury, central nervous system infection, inherited genetic, degenerative or metabolic conditions. (Nih.gov, n.d.).
1.1.1. impaired intellectual functioning, developmental delays (Nih.gov, n.d.).
1.2. learning and behavior problems develop shortly after seizures start and can worsen as seizures continue, . (CC, n.d.).
1.2.1. may struggle with emotions, problems learning, or communicating. Many have signs similar to autism. (CC, n.d.).
1.3. tonic seizures- stiffening, upward eye gaze, dilated pupils. (Nih.gov, n.d.).
1.4. atonic seizures- also known as drop seizures, loss of muscle control, loss of consciousness (CC, n.d.).
1.5. atypical- absence seizures, staring at nothing, repetitive movements (CC, n.d.).
1.6. myoclonic seizures- sudden muscle jerks
1.7. generalized tonic-clonic seizures-muscle stiffness and rhythmic jerking. (Nih.gov, n.d.).
1.7.1. Treatment may include Antiepileptic Drugs (AEDs), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), brain surgery and ketogenic diet (Rogers, 2022).
1.7.2. clobazam, felbamate, lamotrigine, rufinamide, topiramate are used. "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cannabidiol (Epidolex, derived from marijuana) for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in individuals ages 2 and older. The drug contains only small amount of the psychoactive element in marijuana and does not induce euphoria associated with the drug".. (Nih.gov, n.d., para. 7).
1.7.3. VNS- suppresses epileptogenic activity. (Rogers, 2022).
1.7.4. Corpus callostomy- separating the two sides of the brain to prevent seizure activity from spreading (Nih.gov, n.d.).
1.7.5. ketogenic diet- high in fat and low carbohydrates, "replaces energy metabolism with ketone bodies instead of glucose and appears to increase the threshold of seizure". (Rogers, 2022, p. 654 ).