A Review of the Not So Benign- Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes

Abstract

Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS) is one of the commonest childhood epileptic syndromes. It is also one of the most researched epilepsy syndrome and the diagnosis and management are based on standard protocol. Although in the past it was considered as a benign and self-limited entity, more and more evidences are accumulating to suggest that this condition may be associated with learning deficits in children. EEG in BECTS is diagnostic which may continue to be abnormal, years after remission from clinical seizures. From the treatment point of view, it is a debatable issue whether anticonvulsants should be used to treat BECTS? A lot of advancements in the understanding of the genetics have been observed in the last decade which may have a key role in the prevention and better management of this condition in future. The current review focuses on the newer advancements in the understanding of the clinical presentation & pathophysiology of BECTS, its genetics and the prognosis.

Clinical profile and electroencephalogram characteristics of children with self-limited epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes attending paediatric neurology clinic, Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka

“…Though considered a benign condition in the past, there is growing evidence of its multiple neuropsychiatric involvement. SLECTS was first described in 1952 by Gastaut, but the name Rolandic was used after the pioneering work by Luigi Rolando about localising the anatomical location of the epilepsy origin 2 .…”

“…Speech arrest and hypersalivation are seen in 40% and 30% of children with SLECTS, respectively. In addition, 30% of children with SLECTS have focal facial sensorymotor symptoms such as jaw numbness and tonic deviation of mouth 2,3 . Neuropsychological manifestations such as speech disorders, reading disorders and linguistic problems occur during an acute episode of SLECTS.…”

Altered Sleep-Related Consolidation and Neurocognitive Comorbidity in CECTS

“…The onset of CECTS is between early childhood and middle adolescence. The incidence of the disorder is between 10 and 20: 100,000 in children between the ages of 3 and 15 (Parakh and Katewa, 2015;Smith et al, 2016) and its prevalence is approximately 15% in children with epilepsy between 1 and 15 years of age (Parakh and Katewa, 2015).…”

Memory, Executive Skills, and Psychosocial Phenotype in Children with Pharmacoresponsive Epilepsy: Reactivity to Intervention

“…In our study, we focused on pharmacoresponsive epilepsies of childhood that are genetically determined or from an unknown cause (3). Pharmacoresponsive epilepsies of childhood often spontaneously remit during predictable age ranges and are often thought to be unaccompanied by other consequences or disabilities (4). …”