Idiopathic epilepsies are typically associated with generalized seizures which begin simultaneously in both cerebral hemispheres. Some generalized idiopathic epilepsies are present at birth, whereas others have an aged dependent pattern of onset and remit spontaneously. Idiopathic epilepsies usually have a complex inheritance pattern and are poorly understood. Some have been associated with single gene mutations. For example, certain mutations in genes encoding voltage-gated ion channel proteins produce a state of neuronal hyperexcitability. Individuals with these mutations are thus more susceptible to seizures.
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