Seizures early in life.

Abstract

The immature central nervous system (CNS) should not be considered a miniature of the adult CNS. Seizures and epilepsy affect infants and children more than any other age group. Seizures can manifest themselves differently, depending on age, and can have age-dependent outcomes on development and behavior. Precocious development of excitatory synapses, delayed development of inhibition, and delayed maturation of seizure-modifying circuits are some of the proposed mechanisms that explain the susceptibility to seizures in infants and children. All these factors must be considered when a treatment plan is formulated, including the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) for infants and children. Future directions should include the development of age-specific models and clinical trials to study seizures and epilepsy in people of all ages.