ABSTRACT
The major neurological and psychiatric disorders are classified into five general categories (Table 67.1) based primarily on the etiology of the disorder. The epilepsies are resistant to etiological classification. Epilepsies may be genetic, developmental, metabolic, or neurodegenerative. Rather than add epilepsy to each of these categories, the epilepsies are treated separately. However, where a specific metabolic cause for the seizures can be identified, or where the seizures are not the major symptom of the disorder, the disorder will be included in the appropriate other category. For example, biotinidase deficiency causes seizures, but the genetic abnormality is easily identified and treatable with high dose biotin, so for the purposes of this section it will be treated separately under Inborn Errors of Metabolism.
