West Syndrome (Infantile Spasms)

4th June 2020

Named after Dr William West, West syndrome, also known as infantile spasms, are a type of seizure that start early in life and are specific in nature, as are all syndromes. West syndrome is diagnosed when a child has a very specific type of seizure and age of onset combined with an electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern…

Read more

Category: Syndromes

Rett Syndrome

14th May 2020

Rett Syndrome is a genetic syndrome that is estimated to affect just 1 in every 10,000 to 12,000 girls. It is extremely uncommon for males to be affected by Rett Syndrome, however, on the rare occasion that it does it’s always far more severe than it is in females.  Rett Syndrome is caused by a…

Read more

Category: Syndromes

Rasmussen Syndrome

22nd April 2020

Rasmussen syndrome is very rare and it is thought to only occur in 1 in 750,000, although an exact figure is not yet currently known. This particular syndrome usually affects children between the ages of 6 and 8, however, there have been instances where a diagnosis has been made in children as young as 2…

Read more

Category: Syndromes

Tuberous Sclerosis and epilepsy

16th April 2020

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a rare genetic disorder that affects multiple organ systems and causes tumours to develop in different parts of the body. These tumours are mostly benign (non-cancerous), and commonly affect the brain, heart, kidneys, eyes, lungs and skin. TSC affects 1 in every 6,000 people and can present at any age. …

Read more

Category: Syndromes

Panayiotopoulos syndrome

25th March 2020

At present, it is not known how common panayiotopoulos syndrome is, it’s estimated that it could affect as many as 1 in 10 children with epilepsy but could also be closer to 1 in 20. Panayiotopoulos syndrome usually presents in children between the ages of 3 and 5, but has also been known to affect…

Read more

Category: Syndromes

Ohtahara Syndrome

13th February 2020

Ohtahara syndrome, also known as early infantile epilepsy encephalopathy with suppression bursts, is an extremely rare syndrome that starts in very young babies, usually below the age of 3 months.  In the vast majority of cases, the baby will have a structural brain abnormality to which this syndrome can be attributed. These abnormalities can be…

Read more

Category: Syndromes