Epilepsy, a brain disorder in which nerve cells send out abnormal electrical signals, has many forms that are classified according to the typical seizure symptoms. Benign rolandic epilepsy, also known as benign partial epilepsy of childhood or benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, typically occurs in young children. It is considered benign because seizures usually do not disrupt normal activities, and affected children typically outgrow the condition with no lasting ill effects, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.
Definition
Benign rolandic epilepsy affects the rolandic area of the brain, also known as the centrotemporal area. In children with benign rolandic epilepsy, an electroencephalogram (EEG) recording of the electrical activity in the brain shows an abnormal pattern called focal sharp waves in the centrotemporal region. The abnormal electrical activity sparks the seizures associated with the condition.
Symptoms
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, seizures usually begin at night while the child is asleep. Seizure symptoms begin with loss of control in facial muscles, causing drooling, tingling sensations in the tongue and sometimes temporary loss of speech. Children remain conscious through these symptoms. In some affected children, generalized seizures with loss of consciousness and whole body convulsions follow the facial symptoms. Seizures occur infrequently and last only about two minutes, according to Epilepsy.com.
Incidence
According to Dr. Lisa Strug, writing in the September 2009 issue of "European Journal of Human Genetics," benign rolandic epilepsy is the most common type of epilepsy. It affects children in the age range of three to 12 years old, with slightly more affected boys than girls (a 3:2 ratio). The Epilepsy Foundation says that it causes more than a third of epilepsy cases in middle childhood.
Cause
About 18 percent of children with benign rolandic epilepsy have a family history of the disease, says the Epilepsy Foundation, suggesting a genetic contribution to the condition. Dr. Strug and her colleagues found that the benign rolandic epilepsy trait of abnormal centrotemporal EEG spikes associates with an unusual code in the gene called Elongator Protein Complex (ELP4). They hypothesize that this ELP4 variant changes the way cells move and migrate in the developing brain, increasing the likelihood of abnormal electrical impulses later in childhood.
Prognosis
Information from the University of Wisconsin indicates that some affected children may have learning disabilities during the period that they have seizures. In those cases, or if the child has seizures during the day, low doses of epilepsy medications can control the condition. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, most children outgrow seizures five years after their onset, and 95 percent of affected children outgrow the condition by the age of 14.
References
- Epilepsy Foundation: Benign Rolandic Epilepsy
- Epilepsy.com: Benign Rolandic Epilepsy
- "European Journal of Human Genetics"; Centrotemporal sharp wave EEG trait in rolandic epilepsy maps to Elongator Protein Complex 4 (ELP4); Lisa Strug, et al.; September 2009
- University of Wisconsin: Benign Rolandic Epilepsy
