SYNDROME, LENNOX-GASTAUT

A severe form of epilepsy that usually begins in early childhood and is characterized by frequent seizures of multiple types, mental impairment, and a particular brain wave pattern (a slow spike-and-wave pattern). The seizures that are notoriously hard to treat and may lead to falls and injuries can be reduced in frequency by treatment with lamotrigone, a chemically novel antiepileptic drug. The syndrome is named for W.G. Lennox and H. Gastaut who described it.