Neuropsychological tests are used to provide an assessment of cognitive functions in patients with idiopathic generalized epileptic (IGE) disorders and their first-degree relatives. The battery comprises tests designed to tap attention, memory, selected sensory and perceptual functions, vigilance, and visual-spatial functions. Modified batteries have been developed for the assessment of children ages 5-8, and children ages 8-16. The data provided by these batteries are compared with genetic profiles of the same participants that have been ascertained from blood samples analyzed by colleagues at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Columbia University in New York City.