What is (are) Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy ?
Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy is a condition that involves seizures beginning in infancy or, in some cases, before birth. Those affected typically experience prolonged seizures lasting several minutes (status epilepticus). These seizures involve muscle rigidity, convulsions, and loss of consciousness (tonic-clonic seizures). Anticonvulsant drugs, which are usually given to control seizures, are ineffective in people with pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy. Instead, people with this type of seizure are medically treated with large daily doses of pyridoxine (a type of vitamin B6 found in food). Mutations in the ALDH7A1 gene cause pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy. This gene is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion.