JUVENILE ABSENCE EPILEPSY (JAE)

Mandatory seizures

Absence seizures are mandatory seizures; frequency is usually less than daily and thus less frequent than seen in childhood absence epilepsy. Loss of awareness may be complete or may not be as severe as seen in childhood absence epilepsy. During absence seizures with incomplete loss of awareness an adolescent can respond to commands but has difficulty doing complex tasks. Absence status epilepticus can occur.

May have

Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (seen in 80% of cases), these are seen within 30 minutes of waking.

Exclusionary

• Myoclonic seizures consider juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
• Any other seizure types