ABSTRACT
Absence seizures usually occur in children and on occasion may not be recognized because of their association with a typically normal neurological and cognitive examination. Various types of absence seizures occur including typical childhood absence seizures, juvenile absences, and atypical absence seizures. In most cases, the seizures are of abrupt onset and patients are neurologically and intellectually normal. In atypical absences, however, neurological impairment may occur. In the past, these seizure types were diagnosed under the heading of ‘‘petit mal’’ which is still unfortunately used at times and usually describes all seizures without a clear convulsion. The etiology of absence epilepsy is unclear, but may involve abnormal oscillatory rhythms in the GABAB and T-type calcium channels of the thalamus.
