2007 Volume 25 Issue 2 Pages 88-93
Benign adult familial myoclonus epilepsy (BAFME) is an autosomal dominant idiopathic epileptic syndrome. It is distinct from progressive myoclonic epilepsy in its adult onset and non-progressive course. It also differs from typical juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) in its mode of inheritance and action myoclonus. We herein reported a 20-year-old male patient with non-progressive familial myoclonus epilepsy. Awakening myoclonic seizures and astatic seizures developed at 15 years of age and seizures occurred nearly once a week. Seizures have stopped since he started taking antiepileptic drugs at age of 16 and action myoclonus, mental disturbance or other neuropsychiatric signs were not observed throughout the course. His father and sister also exhibited myoclonic seizures and we considered that his family was affected with benign familial myoclonus epilepsy, which was presumably an autosomal dominant JME.
