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Complex partial epilepsy

MedGen UID:
43169
•Concept ID:
C0085417
•
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Complex Partial Epilepsy; Complex Partial Seizure Disorder; Disorder, Complex Partial Seizures; Epilepsy, Complex Partial; Epilepsy, Psychic Equivalent; Epilepsy, Psychomotor; Partial Epilepsy, Complex; Psychic Equivalent Epilepsy; Psychomotor Epilepsy; Seizure Disorder, Complex Partial
SNOMED CT: Psychomotor epilepsy (361123003)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0006710

Definition

A disorder characterized by recurrent partial seizures marked by impairment of cognition. During the seizure the individual may experience a wide variety of psychic phenomenon including formed hallucinations, illusions, deja vu, intense emotional feelings, confusion, and spatial disorientation. Focal motor activity, sensory alterations and automatism may also occur. Complex partial seizures often originate from foci in one or both temporal lobes. The etiology may be idiopathic (cryptogenic partial complex epilepsy) or occur as a secondary manifestation of a focal cortical lesion (symptomatic partial complex epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp317-8) [from MONDO]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVComplex partial epilepsy

Professional guidelines

PubMed

A Comparison of Vagal Nerve Stimulation and Responsive Neurostimulation for the Treatment of Medically Refractory Complex Partial Epilepsy.
Ellens NR, Elisevich K, Burdette DE, Patra SE
Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2018;96(4):259-263. Epub 2018 Aug 27 doi: 10.1159/000492232. PMID: 30149389
Historical criteria that distinguish syncope from seizures.
Sheldon R, Rose S, Ritchie D, Connolly SJ, Koshman ML, Lee MA, Frenneaux M, Fisher M, Murphy W
J Am Coll Cardiol 2002 Jul 3;40(1):142-8. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(02)01940-x. PMID: 12103268
A neurobehavioral approach for treatment of complex partial epilepsy: efficacy.
Reiter JM, Andrews DJ
Seizure 2000 Apr;9(3):198-203. doi: 10.1053/seiz.1999.0374. PMID: 10775516

Curated

UK NICE Guideline NG217, Epilepsies in children, young people and adults, 2022

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Febrile seizures: recent developments and unanswered questions.
Pavlidou E, Hagel C, Panteliadis C
Childs Nerv Syst 2013 Nov;29(11):2011-7. Epub 2013 Jul 12 doi: 10.1007/s00381-013-2224-3. PMID: 23846392
Vigabatrin: 2008 update.
Willmore LJ, Abelson MB, Ben-Menachem E, Pellock JM, Shields WD
Epilepsia 2009 Feb;50(2):163-73. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01988.x. PMID: 19230067
Disconnective hemispherectomy.
Danielpour M, von Koch CS, Ojemann SG, Peacock WJ
Pediatr Neurosurg 2001 Oct;35(4):169-72. doi: 10.1159/000050417. PMID: 11694793
Circling seizures.
Saka E, Saygi S, Ciğer A, Selekler K
Seizure 1996 Dec;5(4):299-302. doi: 10.1016/s1059-1311(96)80024-0. PMID: 8952016
Crying seizures.
Luciano D, Devinsky O, Perrine K
Neurology 1993 Oct;43(10):2113-7. doi: 10.1212/wnl.43.10.2113. PMID: 8413975

Diagnosis

Complex partial seizures and depression.
Greenlee BA, Ferrell RB, Kauffman CI, McAllister TW
Curr Psychiatry Rep 2003 Oct;5(5):410-6. doi: 10.1007/s11920-003-0076-3. PMID: 13678563
Singing seizures.
Doherty MJ, Wilensky AJ, Holmes MD, Lewis DH, Rae J, Cohn GH
Neurology 2002 Nov 12;59(9):1435-8. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000031430.40085.93. PMID: 12427900
Circling seizures.
Saka E, Saygi S, Ciğer A, Selekler K
Seizure 1996 Dec;5(4):299-302. doi: 10.1016/s1059-1311(96)80024-0. PMID: 8952016
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Duncan JS
Epilepsia 1996 Jul;37(7):598-605. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1996.tb00622.x. PMID: 8681890
Sleep and the temporal lobe.
Van Sweden B
Acta Neurol Belg 1996 Mar;96(1):19-30. PMID: 8669224

Therapy

Vigabatrin: 2008 update.
Willmore LJ, Abelson MB, Ben-Menachem E, Pellock JM, Shields WD
Epilepsia 2009 Feb;50(2):163-73. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01988.x. PMID: 19230067
Complex partial seizures and depression.
Greenlee BA, Ferrell RB, Kauffman CI, McAllister TW
Curr Psychiatry Rep 2003 Oct;5(5):410-6. doi: 10.1007/s11920-003-0076-3. PMID: 13678563
Tiagabine.
Mengel H
Epilepsia 1994;35 Suppl 5:S81-4. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1994.tb05976.x. PMID: 8039477
Gabapentin: discussion.
Fromm GH
Epilepsia 1994;35 Suppl 5:S77-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1994.tb05975.x. PMID: 8039476
Vigabatrin.
Connelly JF
Ann Pharmacother 1993 Feb;27(2):197-204. doi: 10.1177/106002809302700215. PMID: 8439699

Prognosis

Febrile seizures: recent developments and unanswered questions.
Pavlidou E, Hagel C, Panteliadis C
Childs Nerv Syst 2013 Nov;29(11):2011-7. Epub 2013 Jul 12 doi: 10.1007/s00381-013-2224-3. PMID: 23846392
Disconnective hemispherectomy.
Danielpour M, von Koch CS, Ojemann SG, Peacock WJ
Pediatr Neurosurg 2001 Oct;35(4):169-72. doi: 10.1159/000050417. PMID: 11694793
Seizures and schizophrenia.
Hyde TM, Weinberger DR
Schizophr Bull 1997;23(4):611-22. doi: 10.1093/schbul/23.4.611. PMID: 9365998
Circling seizures.
Saka E, Saygi S, Ciğer A, Selekler K
Seizure 1996 Dec;5(4):299-302. doi: 10.1016/s1059-1311(96)80024-0. PMID: 8952016
EEG dipole modeling in complex partial epilepsy.
Ebersole JS
Brain Topogr 1991 Winter;4(2):113-23. doi: 10.1007/BF01132768. PMID: 1793685

Clinical prediction guides

Febrile seizures: recent developments and unanswered questions.
Pavlidou E, Hagel C, Panteliadis C
Childs Nerv Syst 2013 Nov;29(11):2011-7. Epub 2013 Jul 12 doi: 10.1007/s00381-013-2224-3. PMID: 23846392
Vigabatrin: 2008 update.
Willmore LJ, Abelson MB, Ben-Menachem E, Pellock JM, Shields WD
Epilepsia 2009 Feb;50(2):163-73. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01988.x. PMID: 19230067
Convergences in course of illness and treatments of the epilepsies and recurrent affective disorders.
Post RM, Weiss SR
Clin EEG Neurosci 2004 Jan;35(1):14-24. doi: 10.1177/155005940403500108. PMID: 15112460
Spirituality and complex partial epileptic-like signs.
MacDonald DA, Holland D
Psychol Rep 2002 Dec;91(3 Pt 1):785-92. doi: 10.2466/pr0.2002.91.3.785. PMID: 12530725
SUDEP: overview of definitions and review of incidence data.
Annegers JF, Coan SP
Seizure 1999 Sep;8(6):347-52. doi: 10.1053/seiz.1999.0306. PMID: 10512776

Recent systematic reviews

A meta-analysis of individual patient responses to lamotrigine or carbamazepine monotherapy.
Gamble C, Williamson PR, Chadwick DW, Marson AG
Neurology 2006 May 9;66(9):1310-7. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000210517.03902.6e. PMID: 16682660

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

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      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Curated

    • NICE, 2022
      UK NICE Guideline NG217, Epilepsies in children, young people and adults, 2022

    Consumer resources

    Reviews

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