A Taskforce for the Commission on Classification and Terminology and the Commission on Epidemiology of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) has proposed a new definition of status epilepticus: Status epilepticus is a condition resulting either from the failure of the mechanisms responsible for seizure termination or from the initiation of mechanisms, which lead to abnormally, prolonged seizures (after time point t1). It is a condition, which can have long-term consequences (after time point t2), including neuronal death, neuronal injury, and alteration of neuronal networks, depending on the type and duration of seizures.
The Taskforce also proposed a new diagnostic classification system for status epilepticus that consists of 4 axes: Semiology, Etiology, Electroencephalography (EEG) correlates; and Age. Each axis is further divided into subcategories, providing a framework for clinical diagnosis, investigation, and therapeutic approaches for patients.
Trinka E, Cock H, Hesdorffer D, et al. A definition and classification of status epilepticus—report of the ILAE Task Force on Classification of Status Epilepticus. Epilepsia. 2015; doi:10.111/epi.13121.
