Febrile Seizures: clinical and genetic studies

Febrile seizures are described as a temporary seizure disorder of childhood; the attacks occur by definition in association with fever and are usually accompanied by sudden tonic-clonic muscle contractions and reduced consciousness, usually lasting not longer than 5 to 10 minutes. According to the commonly accepted definition of the National Institutes of Health consensus meeting of febrile seizures in 1980, 'a febrile seizure (an abnormal, sudden, excessive electrical discharge of neurons [grey malter] which propagates down the neuronal processes [white matter] to affect an end organ in a clinically measurable fashion) is an event in infancy or childhood, usually occurring between three months and five years of age, associated with fever but without evidence of intracranial infection or defined cause. Seizures with fever in children who have suffered a previous nonfebrile seizure are excluded. Febrile seizures are to be distinguished from epilepsy, which is characterised by recurrent non febrile seizures'. 1 In the context of this thesis, fever has been defined as a rectally measured body temperature of 38.5 °C or higher. Complex febrile seizures have one or more of the foHowing characteristics: the seizure lasts for more than 15 minutes (prolonged) or 30 minutes or more (febrile status epilepticus); there are one or more recurrences within 24 hours (multiple type febrile seizures); the seizure has partial features, i.e. a focal onset of the seizure or a postictal Todd paresis of facial muscles or Iimbs. Seizures are referred to as simple, if they last less than 15 minutes, do not recur within 24 hours (single-type) and are generalised.

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