Le crisi frontali notturne

During the last two decades more than one hundred and twenty patients were admitted to our Sleep or Epilepsy Centers for paroxysmal nocturnal episodes of probable epileptic nature. In ninety five patients we were able to confirm the diagnosis of frontal lobe seizures occurring during sleep by recording the ictal events with video-polisomnographic techniques. According to the different intensity, duration, and clinical features we described three different types of ictal manifestations: nocturnal (typical) frontal lobe seizures, epileptic arousals and epileptic nocturnal wanderings. Nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy is a spectrum of distinct phenomena, differing in intensity but representing a continuum of the same epileptic condition. Familial cases are frequent but heterogeneity is implied by the fact that not all families link to the same chromosome.