A 10-year-old boy with brief episodes of distractibility (< 1 minute) in which he does not respond to calls and blinks. An EEG shows spike-wave discharges at 3 cycles per second. First-line elective treatment would be with:
Absences behave as brief episodes of abrupt loss of consciousness without alteration of postural control; they typically last seconds and can be repeated many times a day, are usually accompanied by small bilateral motor signs (blinking, chewing) and consciousness is recovered equally abruptly, without subsequent confusion or memory of the episode (MIR 03-04, 248; MIR 97-98, 51). The age of onset is usually between 4 years and early adolescence, being the most frequent cause of seizures in this age range. EEG findings are typically generalized and symmetrical spike-wave discharges at 3 Hz (MIR 99-00F, 67) coinciding with seizures, although in the interictal EEG there are more periods of abnormal activity than clinically visible. The most appropriate drugs for the treatment of absences are Valproate and Ethosuximide (CTO Manual).
Valproate.
Carbamazepine.
Phenytoin.
Gabapentin.
Clonazepam.
The most appropriate drugs for the treatment of absences are Valproate and Ethosuximide (CTO Manual).