Genetic considerations in childhood epilepsy.

This report reviews various lines of evidence demonstrating important genetic influences in the epilepsies, with special emphasis on childhood epilepsy. Five pertinent topics are discussed: (a) examples of dominant, recessive, and X-linked single-gene disorders known to be associated with epilepsy, (b) examples of gross chromosomal aberrations associated with epilepsy, (c) discussion of multifactorial and polygenic inheritance and issues of genetic heterogeneity with specific reference to idiopathic generalized epilepsy, febrile seizures, and infantile spasms, (d) brief review of experimental clues to possible pathogenetic mechanisms underlying genetic forms of epilepsy, and (e) an overview of strategies for applying genetic linkage analysis to hereditary epileptic disorders.