Circadian rhythm and personality profile in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is a prototype of idiopathic generalized epilepsy and is characterized by a high genetic disposition and an excellent therapeutic response - when patients comply with the therapeutic regime. Based on clinical obser-vations by Janz and Christian in the 1950s, the syndrome has been associated with a characteristically delayed sleep/wake-rhythm and a typically immature personality profile. These features have later been interpreted as a mild frontal lobe behavior syndrome. Recent neuropsychological studies confirmed deficits in attention and frontal memory functions as well as executive tasks. Neuroimaging studies have supported the hypothesis of mesio-und prefrontal dysfunctions. In our study we confirmed a delayed circadian rhythm in JME compared to temporal lobe epilepsy. With the exception of some subanalyses we did not find evidence for a specific personality profile in JME.