Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes
W. Donald Shields,
Orlando Carter Snead III,
W. Donald Shields
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Search for more papers by this authorOrlando Carter Snead III
University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorW. Donald Shields,
Orlando Carter Snead III,
W. Donald Shields
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Search for more papers by this authorOrlando Carter Snead III
University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorAddress correspondence to W. Donald Shields, MD, Division of Pediatric Neurology, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1752, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected]
Summary
Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) is a common disorder in childhood. After a brief overview of BECTS, a review of the data in favor of treatment with anticonvulsant medications is followed by the data indicating that treatment is not indicated. Some children appear to have cognitive consequences from BECTS. The parents and children with BECTS require a full discussion of the pros and cons of treatment, but based on data available at this time, it is concluded that treatment is generally not indicated for most patients. Future research may lead to changes in the recommendations.
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