A rare genetic progressive myoclonic epilepsy characterized by childhood onset of progressive dysarthria myoclonus ataxia seizures and cognitive decline. The disease takes a protracted course with patients surviving into adulthood developing signs and symptoms like psychosis with outbursts of prolonged agitation and screaming spasticity and hyperreflexia confusion mutism and incontinence. There are no visual disturbances. Muscle biopsy shows numerous periodic acid-Schiff-positive inclusions so-called Lafora bodies.
Data from Orphanet are used to provide information on a disease's name, synonym(s), and overview. Reference: Access aggregated data from Orphanet at Orphadata. Orphadata: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Available on http://www.orphadata.org. Data version April 2026
Newly diagnosed with
Early-onset Lafora body disease?
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Advocacy Organizations
Chelsea’s Hope Lafora Children Research Fund
The Mission The mission of Chelsea’s Hope is to improve the lives of those affected by Lafora Disease and help accelerate the development of treatments.
Genetic Epilepsy Team Australia
Collaboration of research and care
Mickie?s Miracles
To help families get into Level IV Pediatric Epilepsy Centers for diagnosis and treatment urgently -- and provide support to families for every season of the pediatric epilepsy journey.
Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium
The Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium (PERC) is a group of US pediatric epilepsy centers, researchers and professionals in field of epilepsy whose goal is to provide a network and infrastructure to facilitate collegial, collaborative practice-changing research that will provide answers needed to improve the care of children with epilepsy.
Rare Epilepsy Network (REN)
Improving outcomes of people with rare epilepsies through an innovative collaborative infrastructure that drives urgent, patient-centered research, educaiton and advocacy.
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Clinical Trials
For a list of clinical trials in this disease area, please click here.