INFANTILE SPASMS

Course overview

INFANTILE SPASMS (IS) IS A SEIZURE DISORDER THAT WAS FIRST DESCRIBED BY WILLIAM WEST IN 1841 AND HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS WEST SYNDROME. IT IS A DISORDER THAT AFFECTS MOSTLY THOSE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE AND IS DESCRIBED AS SPASMS WITH CHARACTERISTIC EEG CHANGES KNOWN AS HYPSARRHYTHMIA AND A STRONG ASSOCIATION WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAY OR REGRESSION. INFANTILE SPASMS HAVE BEEN EVALUATED FOR OVER 170 YEARS IN REGARDS TO ETIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, CLINICAL FEATURES, AND DIAGNOSIS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE CAUSE, PRESENTATION, AND DIAGNOSIS OF INFANTILE SPASMS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.