Clonazepam Therapy in a case of primary reading epilepsy.

Abstract

To the Editor.— Primary reading epilepsy (PRE) is a form of reflex epilepsy that is considered hereditary, 1 and whose effective treatment in three cases with clonazepam 2-4 and in one case with valproate sodium 5 has been described. We studied a man with PRE whose attacks were controlled with clonazepam. His 4-year-old son had myoclonic epilepsy that was controlled with valproate sodium. Report of a Case.— A 32-year-old man, first seen seven years earlier, had suffered three generalized convulsive seizures, while reading, since age 18 years. After these, and always when reading texts that required concentrated attention, he felt several throat spasms that reached tonic protrusion of the jaw, and that forced him to stop reading for fear of suffering a new generalized attack; this happens daily, aggravated by excitation or loss of sleep. He always pronounces words to himself in reading. The attacks occur sometimes during an excited