What triggers rolandic epilepsy?

What Causes Benign Rolandic Epilepsy? No one knows what causes benign rolandic epilepsy. Children who have close relatives with epilepsy are slightly more likely to develop the condition.

What are the symptoms of BRE?

Symptoms. BRE typically begins between the ages of 3 and 13 years with nighttime seizures . The episodes usually begin with twitching and stiffness in the face, that often wakes up the individual. There may be a tingling feeling on one side of the mouth that involves the tongue, lips, gums and inside of the cheek.

How is benign rolandic epilepsy diagnosed?

How Is Benign Rolandic Epilepsy Diagnosed? Doctors diagnose the condition based on the description of the seizures, their timing, the child’s age and development, and results from an EEG test (to see brain waves/electrical activity in the brain).

How often do rolandic seizures occur?

BRE occurs more often in boys than in girls with a 1.5 to 1 predominance. The incidence of BRE is 10 to 20 per 100,000 children up to age 15 years. BRE makes up about 15% of all epilepsy cases in children[11][12][13][14] which makes it the most common epilepsy syndrome of childhood.

Does rolandic epilepsy go away?

In some cases, benign rolandic epilepsy does not cause major problems and resolves on its own by the time the child is a teenager. However, some children have seizures during the day or lose sleep because of nighttime seizures.

Are rolandic seizures genetic?

What causes benign rolandic epilepsy (BRE)? BRE is thought to be a genetic disorder. Studies suggest that certain regions on chromosome 11 (11p13) and chromosome 15 (15q14) may be involved in BRE, but a specific gene has not been identified.

Are rolandic seizures hereditary?

BRE is thought to be a genetic disorder because most affected individuals have a family history of epilepsy. Treatment for BRE may depend on the symptoms and severity in each person.

When do kids outgrow benign rolandic epilepsy?

Benign Rolandic Epilepsy Treatment Most children (95 percent) outgrow their seizures by age 15. BRE is typically treated with anti-epileptic drugs.