Branislav Kollár, Petra Keményová, Pavel Šiarnik, Lucia Krížová, Zuzana Čarnická, Zoltán Goldenberg, Katarína Klobučníková
The current modern neurology has unequivocally identified itself with the view that epilepsy is actually rather a syndrome unit than a disease in itself. Etiology of epilepsy is not homogenous. Several factors may cause epilepsy. The genetic factors that may participate in the ethiopathogenesis of epilepsy have been the subject for research for several years. However, recently the genetics has become the mainstream of the epileptology research. Genetic research in the recent years shows the critical role of ion channels in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Moreover, there is a gradual accumulation of monogenic epileptic syndromes. Identification of the accountable mutated genes and their gene products decreases the number of the so-called idiopathic epileptic syndromes. It may eventually form the background for the development of novel medicinal products and more effective treatment. Further research in this field may enable the advancement of new, directly focused therapeutic procedures in the future. In the first part of the article the authors deal with etiology of epilepsy and monogenic epileptic syndromes; the second part is devoted to the characterisation of idiopathic generalised and partial epilepsies.