Disease or Syndrome
absence epilepsy
ab·sence ep·i·lep·sy
Subclass of:
Epilepsy, Generalized;
Epileptic Syndromes
Definitions related to absence epilepsy:
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(epilepsy, absence) A seizure disorder usually occurring in childhood characterized by rhythmic electrical brain discharges of generalized onset. Clinical features include a sudden cessation of ongoing activity usually without loss of postural tone. Rhythmic blinking of the eyelids or lip smacking frequently accompanies the SEIZURES. The usual duration is 5-10 seconds, and multiple episodes may occur daily. Juvenile absence epilepsy is characterized by the juvenile onset of absence seizures and an increased incidence of myoclonus and tonic-clonic seizures. (Menkes, Textbook of Child Neurology, 5th ed, p736)NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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(petit mal epilepsy) Epilepsy characterized by very brief episodes of sudden cessation of activity, usually associated with eye blinking. There is no loss of the muscle tone.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(typical absence seizure) A typical absence seizure is a type of generalised non-motor (absence) seizure characterised by its sudden onset, interruption of ongoing activities, a blank stare, possibly a brief upward deviation of the eyes. Usually the patient will be unresponsive when spoken to. Duration is a few seconds to half a minute with very rapid recovery. Although not always available, an EEG would usually show 3 Hz generalized epileptiform discharges during the event.Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2021
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