From the Research
Absence seizures that begin in childhood often do not continue throughout one's life, with most children outgrowing these seizures by adolescence or early adulthood. According to the most recent and highest quality study, approximately 70% of children with childhood absence epilepsy outgrow these seizures by adolescence or early adulthood 1. Treatment typically involves anti-seizure medications such as ethosuximide, valproic acid, or lamotrigine, which effectively control seizures in about 80% of patients.
Key Points to Consider
- Medication is usually continued for at least two seizure-free years before considering tapering off under medical supervision.
- Approximately 30% of patients may continue to experience absence seizures into adulthood or develop other seizure types.
- Factors that may predict persistence include later age of onset, poor initial response to medication, and having additional seizure types.
- Regular follow-up with a neurologist is essential to monitor treatment effectiveness and make adjustments as needed. Some key considerations for treatment include:
- Ethosuximide is often used as a first-line treatment, with a dosage range of 250-1500 mg daily.
- Valproic acid and lamotrigine are also effective options, with dosage ranges of 10-60 mg/kg/day and 25-400 mg daily, respectively.
- The underlying mechanism involves abnormal electrical activity in the brain's thalamo-cortical networks, which causes brief lapses in awareness typically lasting 5-30 seconds. It's worth noting that while earlier studies suggested a lack of strong evidence to inform clinical practice 2, 3, more recent research provides clearer guidance on the prognosis and treatment of absence seizures in children 1.