Generalised epilepsy

Generalised epilepsy is a form of epilepsy characterised by generalised seizures. Generalised seizures, as opposed to partial seizures, are a type of seizures that impair consciousness and distort the electrical activity of a larger portion of the brain (which can be seen, for example, on electroencephalography, EEG).

Generalised seizures can be either absence seizures, myoclonic seizures, clonic seizures, tonic seizures, tonic-clonic seizures or atonic seizures.

Generalised seizures occur in various seizure syndromes, including myoclonic epilepsy, familial neonatal convulsions, childhood absence epilepsy, absence epilepsy, myoclonic epilepsy, infantile spasms (West's syndrome) and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.