This report describes general characteristics of the group of diseases classified as idiopathic generalized epilepsy (EIG). EIG is a genetically heterogeneous disorder, with multiple genes and mapped loci. A list of EIG subtypes, as defined by OMIM, can be found by following the link in the "OMIM phenotypic series" section, below.
Idiopathic generalized epilepsy is a broad term that encompasses several common seizure phenotypes, classically including childhood absence epilepsy (CAE, ECA; see MIM:600131), juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE, EJA; see MIM:607631), juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME, EJM; see MIM:254770), and epilepsy with grand mal seizures on awakening (Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy, 1989, pubmed:2502382). These recurrent seizures occur in the absence of detectable brain lesions and/or metabolic abnormalities. Seizures are initially generalized with a bilateral, synchronous, generalized, symmetrical EEG discharge (Zara et al., 1995, pubmed:8528209; Lu and Wang, 2009,pubmed:19298753). [from MIM:600669; 2026.07.09]
