Is juvenile myoclonic epilepsy inherited ?
The inheritance pattern of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy is not completely understood. When the condition is caused by mutations in the GABRA1 gene, it is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder. The inheritance pattern of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy caused by mutations in the EFHC1 gene is not known.  Although juvenile myoclonic epilepsy can run in families, many cases occur in people with no family history of the disorder.