Benign complex partial epilepsies in infancy.

Nine infants with benign complex partial seizures, diagnosed by simultaneous electroencephalogram and video recordings, are described. At mostly 3-10 months of age, these infants demonstrated clusters of seizures which consisted of motion arrest, decreased responsiveness, staring or blank eyes mostly with simple automatisms, and mild convulsive movements associated with focal paroxysmal discharges. The seizures were controlled easily with carbamazepine or phenobarbital and all patients remained seizure-free for more than 3 years. Four patients had family histories of benign types of infantile convulsions. Interictal electroencephalogram and psychomotor development were normal in all patients.