EVIDENCE OF A 3RD LOCUS FOR BENIGN FAMILIAL CONVULSIONS

Two autosomal dominant forms of benign idiopathic epilepsy of early li fe have been described: benign neonatal familial convulsions and benig n infantile familial convulsions. Herein we describe a pedigree with f amilial convulsions in which the age of onset is intermediate between that seen in these two disorders. Two genes responsible for benign neo natal familial convulsions have been mapped to chromosome 20q and to c hromosome 8q. Previously, the chromosome 20q benign neonatal familial convulsions locus had been excluded in this pedigree. Further linkage analysis in our laboratory revealed that the chromosome 8 benign neona tal familial convulsions locus also is not responsible for seizures in this pedigree. These results indicate that there are at least three l oci responsible for autosomal dominant benign epilepsies of early life .