MRHA Webinar: Distinguishing Between Behavioral Inattention and Childhood Absence Epilepsy

Description: Distinguishing between behavioral inattention and Childhood Absence Epilepsy can be a significant clinical challenge especially given that up to 60% of children with epilepsy also experience attention deficits. This session equips clinicians with practical, evidence-based tools to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.

Participants will learn to recognize critical “red flags” that suggest a seizure origin, such as brief episode duration and a lack of response to tactile stimulation. The webinar will also demonstrate how to perform office-based hyperventilation provocation testing to objectively provoke and diagnose absence seizures, comparing long-standing techniques with modern digital capture methods.

The session concludes with clear clinical algorithms to support treatment planning, guide referrals, and address common comorbidities helping providers intervene earlier and reduce long-term adverse outcomes for pediatric patients.