Journey to 2017 in Seizure Classification Studies and After: What is in the New Offer?

Abstract

The Turkish Epilepsy Society, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), our close ally, completed the preliminary evaluation of the study range on August 12, 2024. This evaluation included recommendations for updating the role of the “2017 Seizure Classification” (2017 SC) in clinical practice worldwide. Following this study, an update document was presented to us, and we were invited to provide individual opinions by October 16, 2024. In this article, we summarize the pre-2017 stages, the 2017 classification, the findings of the Turkish Epilepsy Society, and the results of an e-mail survey conducted in 2018. This summary aims to enhance the understanding of the subject and revisit the process. Furthermore, we incorporate the forward-looking scientific basis and explanations of the changes made by the ILAE task force, presented in the working group’s own words. The final version of the classification, along with the classifier and descriptor tables, has been included in Turkey directly from the original article without altering the terminology used in the 2017 SC. We must consider what new options we propose and whether they will address the shortcomings of the 2017 SC. Together with colleagues from around the globe, we are committed to determining the future direction of this classification.

Keywords

• epilepsy
• epileptic seizure
• international league against epilepsy
• electroencephalography
• taxonomy