Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus – an overview

Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) is characterized by a group of genetic epilepsies associated predominately with an autosomal dominant pattern, but also with de novo and autosomal-recessive inheritance, these last two found in a small number of cases. It was believed that GEFS+ is associated only with generalized seizures, but now the term “genetic epilepsy” is preferred because it has been demonstrated that GEFS+ is associated with both generalized and focal seizures. The “GEFS+ family” was defined as a family with more than two individuals with GEFS+ phenotypes, including at least one with febrile seizure or febrile seizure plus. The GEFS+ spectrum includes febrile seizures (FS), febrile seizures plus (FS+), myoclonic seizures, myoclonic-atonic seizures, absences seizures, focal or generalized seizures. The genetic mutations responsible for inhibitor-excitatory imbalance in neurons network were found in sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 1 (SCN1A), sodium voltage-gated channel beta subunit 1 (SCN1B), sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 2 (SCN2A), sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 9 (SCN9A), gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor subunit gamma 2 (GABRG2), which are the main gene in GEFS+ genotype.