Archives

The ILAE has been involved in an ongoing and evolving effort to classify seizures and the epilepsies for a number of decades. In this section we have collected key papers from the first attempts in the 1960's until now. Some are specific proposals for a system of classification, others are updates on the process or proposals for a standard glossary of terminology. Some of the more recent represent the philosophical musings from a number of our colleagues intimately involved in the process about the issues and tradeoffs that are part of the classification. At this time not all of the articles are available in digital format, but we will remedy that situation as possible so that the thought processes involved in the development and evolution of seizure and epilepsy classification will be readily available to all who are interested.

The sixties and seventies: The first efforts by the ILAE to develop a formal classification for seizures and for the epilepsies began in the 1960s. The discussions and early proposals were published in a series of papers in Epilepsia.

1. Gastaut H (1969) Classification of the epilepsies: proposal for an international classification. Epilepsia. 10 (supplement): S14-S21. (PDF not available on line)

2. Gastaut H (1969) Clinical and electrophaphical classification of seizures. Epilepsia. 10 (supplement): S2-S13. (PDF not available on line)

3. Masland RL (1969) Comments on the classification of the epilepsies. Epilepsia 10 (supplement): S22-S28. (PDF not available on line)

4. Gastaut (1970) Clinical and electroencephalographical classification of epileptic seizures Epilepsia 11:102-113. (PDF)

5. Merlis JK (1970) Proposal for an international classification of the epilepsies. Epilepsia. 11: 114-119. (PDF)

Eighties and nineties: In the 1980s, updated proposals for the classification of seizures and syndromes were published. The 1981 classification for seizures has largely remained unchanged, at least officially. For syndromes, the 1985 proposal was quickly superceded by the 1989 proposal. Although still officially “the Classification,” it is being significantly revised. The Commission on Classification and Terminology did not address specifically the characterization and classification of underlying causes. A separate effort made by epidemiologists and published in 1993 presented a useful and meaningful approach to this issue and is often used in combination with the 1989 classification of syndromes and epilepsies.

6. Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy (1981) Proposal for revised clinical and electrographic classification of epileptic seizures. Epilepsia. 22: 489-501. (PDF)

7. Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy (1985) Proposal for classification of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes. Epilepsia. 26: 268-278. (PDF)

8. Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy (1989) Proposal for revised classification of epilepsies and epileptic syndromes. Epilepsia. 30: 389-399. (PDF)

9. Commission on Epidemiology and Prognosis and International League Against Epilepsy (1993) Guidelines for epidemiologic studies on epilepsy. Epilepsia. 34: 592-596. (PDF)

The new millenium: Efforts to ensure that the classifications of seizures and epilepsies kept up with advancing knowledge resulted in several publications in the early 2000s. These publications included a glossary of ictal semiology, two Taskforce reports, and a collection of essays on the purpose and nature of classification. This work continues.

10. Blume WT, Luders HO, Mizrahi E, Tassinari C, van Emde Boas W and Engel J Glossary of ictal semiology. (2001) Epilepsia. (PDF)

11. Engel J (2001) A proposed diagnostic scheme for people with epileptic seizures and with epilepsy: Report of the ILAE Task Force on Classification and Terminology. Epilepsia. 42: 796-803. (PDF)

12. Cabbages and Kings (2003) – contains several commentaries in a single pdf Epilepsia 44: 1-13. (PDF)

13. Engel J (2006) Report of the ILAE Classification Core Group. Epilepsia. 47: 1558-1568. (PDF)