Evidence for a Genetic Etiology of Temporal-Central Abnormalities in Focal Epilepsy

Abstract

IT has been known for many years that genetic factors play some part in the etiology of idiopathic epilepsy. Some studies have considered only the incidence of clinical epilepsy, and others have reported the incidence of electroencephalographic abnormalities in symptom-free near relatives. Few carefully controlled electroencephalographic studies of epilepsy have been carried out with the use of the methods of population genetics. Workers who have employed their own control groups have reached the unanimous conclusion that the evidence of epilepsy among near relatives of index cases is significantly higher than one would expect in a control population. In 1940 Lennox, . . .