Introduction

Abstract

The Annual Course, cosponsored this year by the American Epilepsy Society and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, took place on Sunday, December 2, 2001 and is summarized in this supplement. The course addressed aspects of seizures and epilepsy from infancy to adulthood. The morning session topics included diagnosis and treatment options for seizures at various ages, concentrating on clinical features, EEG, and video. In this supplement, the variety of clinical and EEG manifestations of seizures in neonates is reviewed by Dr. Barry Tharp, while Dr. Doug Nordli describes these features in infants. Dr. Tharp provides a simple classification of seizures and emphasizes that many abnormal intermittent behavioral patterns are not accompanied by ictal EEG patterns. Dr. Nordli states that seizures in infants can be difficult to recognize and are underdiagnosed. He also provides an overview of infantile epilepsy syndromes. The EEG findings in the benign and malignant childhood syndromes are described in detail by Dr. Ivo Drury, while Drs. Peter and Carol Camfield emphasize the clinical features, outcomes, and treatment of these disorders. Dr. James Wheless and Dr. Howard Kim complete the morning session with a review of adolescent seizures and epilepsy syndromes. The AES-directed afternoon session covers a variety of topics. These include adverse effects and pharmacokinetics in children compared to adults (Dr. Gail Anderson); the spectrum of nonepileptic events in children, with video examples (Dr. Juliann Paolicchi); and epilepsy surgery in childhood (Dr. J. Helen Cross). Dr. Orrin Devinsky addresses the question of what to do when children with epilepsy and developmental delay grow up, and provides an approach to epilepsy in developmentally delayed adults. Behavioral and psychiatric disorders are difficult to diagnose, but common in these patients, and treatment requires careful coordination of health care providers and the family. The ACNS-directed afternoon session concentrates on EEG, epilepsy, and video monitoring in adults (Dr. Greg Cascino), including the elderly (Dr. Anne Van Cott). A variety of paroxysmal events, both epileptic and nonepileptic, are discussed. Dr. Richard Brenner reviews status epilepticus (SE), in particular, nonconvulsive SE in obtunded/comatose patients. Dr. Mark Scheuer discusses recent advances in digital EEG acquisition, storage, quantitative analysis, and transmission that have made continuous EEG monitoring in the intensive care unit feasible and useful. The symposium provides an overview of epilepsy throughout the life cycle, and hopefully will be helpful in the diagnosis and management of our patients.