Signs and symptoms Symptoms of Lafora disease begin to develop during the early adolescent years, and symptoms progress as time passes. Prior to this, there is generally no indication of the presence of the disease, though in a few cases, the disease presents as a learning disorder around five years of age. In extremely rare cases, symptoms may not show at all until as late as the third decade of life, though these cases have slower progression than typical LD. The most common feature of Lafora disease is seizures that have been reported mainly as occipital seizures and myoclonic seizures with some cases of generalized tonic-clonic seizures, atypical absence seizures, and atonic and complex partial seizures. Other symptoms common with the seizures are drop attacks, ataxia, temporary blindness, visual hallucinations, and a quickly-developing and dramatic dementia.
sIgns and sYmPtoms syMpToMS oF lAfora Disease beGIN tO deVelop dURing the early AdolESCent years, and symptoMs proGRESs aS Time pASSeS. prIOR To tHis, tHere iS generally NO indiCATion OF The pReseNcE oF tHe diseAsE, Though iN A fEw cases, the DIsEase presEnts as a lEaRNiNg dIsorder aROunD five YeaRs oF agE. in eXtreMely Rare Cases, symptoMs MAY noT show at all untiL as lAte AS the THIrD dEcade Of LiFE, thouGh tHeSE caseS HAVe SlOweR progressiON tHan typiCal LD. thE Most coMmoN feATUrE of laFora disEaSE is seizuReS thAt HAve BeEN REpORTEd mainlY as OccIpItal seizUres aNd myOclonic SeizUREs wiTH some CasES oF generaLiZEd tonIc-cloNic SeIZures, aTYpICaL aBseNCE SEIzurEs, anD atoNic and CompLex partiaL seizUrEs. othER symptomS common WiTh The sEiZuREs arE DrOp AttACKs, aTaXiA, tEmporary blIndness, VISuAL hallucinatiONs, aNd A QUicKlY-deVelOpInG aNd drAmaTIc DemEntia.