Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome

Definition: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is a severe form of epilepsy that begins in early childhood, usually before age 4. It causes several seizure types, especially tonic seizures and “drop attacks,” along with a distinctive EEG pattern and, in most children, intellectual disability. Cannabidiol (Epidiolex) is one of the FDA-approved treatments for LGS seizures.

What Are the Symptoms of LGS?

According to NINDS, common seizure types in LGS include:

• Tonic: sudden stiffening of the body, often during sleep
• Atonic: sudden loss of muscle tone that causes falls, often called drop attacks
• Atypical absence: staring spells
• Myoclonic: sudden muscle jerks
• Generalized tonic-clonic: full-body convulsions

Doctors confirm the diagnosis with an EEG, which shows a characteristic slow spike-and-wave pattern between seizures.

What Causes Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome?

LGS can result from many conditions that affect the developing brain, including brain malformations, tuberous sclerosis complex, oxygen deprivation around birth, head injury, infections, and genetic or metabolic disorders. Some children had a different epilepsy, such as infantile spasms, first. No cause is found in about 30% to 35% of people.

How Is LGS Treated?

LGS is hard to control and there’s no cure, so most people need a combination of treatments. Options include valproate, clobazam, lamotrigine, rufinamide, fenfluramine, and cannabidiol (Epidiolex), plus the ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation, and in some cases surgery such as corpus callosotomy to reduce drop attacks.

How Does CBD Help With LGS?

In randomized, placebo-controlled trials, adding Epidiolex to existing medicines significantly reduced drop seizures in people with LGS compared with placebo. That evidence applies to pharmaceutical Epidiolex, not to over-the-counter CBD products.

Related terms: Epidiolex, Dravet Syndrome, Cannabidiol (CBD), FDA

Sources: NINDS: Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome; FDA: Epidiolex Prescribing Information.

This entry is for general education and isn’t medical advice. Talk to a neurologist about diagnosis and treatment.