Benign Rolandic Epilepsy

Benign Rolandic epilepsy (also known as benign partial epilepsy of childhood) accounts for more than one-third of all cases of epilepsy that begin in middle childhood, accounting for 16 percent of those beginning before age 15. There is a family history in 18 percent of cases and the condition is probably genetically determined.

Rolandic epilepsy is the most common type of benign partial epilepsy. Seizures start as simple partial, usually beginning in the face. There may be drooling and temporary inability to speak, although consciousness is preserved. The seizures then generalize to tonic-clonic convulsions.

Most of the seizures are nocturnal and occur during sleep. Neurological and other functioning is usually normal, while the EEG shows a dramatic focal spike most often in the centrotemporal regions of the brain. Most children are seizure free five years after onset; by age 14, 95 percent will have undergone permanent remission.