The role of genetic factors in the aetiology of focal epilepsy and in the outcomes of epilepsy treatment

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting people of all ages, races, social classes, and nationalities. It is characterised by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures, and by the neurobiological, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of this condition. The aetiology of epilepsy has long been regarded as ‘unknown’ in about two-thirds of cases. However, evidence mainly from the past two decades has allowed to establish that many epilepsies initially considered to be of unknown cause have in fact a genetic basis. The importance of genetics in epilepsy is not limited to aetiology, and growing interest exists on the genetic contributions to ..