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Non- Ep SZ
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This is one (short) explanation of seizures - If you would like a more
detailed version click Here
Seizures are first categorized as either generalized or partial.
Generalized Seizures
Generalized seizures are caused by abnormal
electrical activity that occurs over the entire brain simultaneously. This group of
seizures affects the level of awareness and muscle movement of all extremities. Following
are the main types of generalized seizures.
Absence
Seizures: (“petit mal”) Staring spells.
May
be mistaken for daydreaming.
Often
start in childhood - often outgrown by adolescence.
They
can happen dozens of times a day but are very brief, usually lasting just a few seconds,
so they are not always noticed.
After
the seizure is over, the person usually continues his previous activity as if nothing
happened.
An
EEG is very helpful with diagnosing this type of seizure.
Myoclonic
Seizures:
Sudden
brief jerks of a single muscle or muscle group. It may appear as if they have been
startled. You may see the head or body suddenly bend forward or backward. At times the
jerk can be so strong that the person can fall to the ground.
Not
the same thing as the periodic muscle spasms one often experiences when falling asleep.
Atonic
Seizures:
Also
very sudden brief seizures, but they involve loss of all muscle tone. The person will
suddenly go limp and fall to the ground.
There is significant risk of head injury during the fall. So, many people with this
seizure type wear helmets for protection.
Tonic
Seizures:
These
seizures involve stiffening of parts of the body or the entire body, sometimes causing the
person to fall down.
Unlike
tonic-clonic seizures, there is no progression to a clonic phase (see below).
Tonic-Clonic
Seizures: “grand mal”.
Usually
starting with stiffening of the entire body, the eyes may roll back in the head, the back
arches, and arms and legs stiffen. The muscles in the chest can also stiffen so it may
appear that the person is not breathing and you may see blue around the lips. There may be
an increase in saliva or “foaming at the mouth”.
The
clonic part is described as rhythmic jerking of the entire body. Once the seizure is over,
they may feel worn out or confused and may even sleep for a period of time.
Partial
Seizures/focal,
Seizures that begin in one part of the brain
instead of all over. Depending on which lobe of the brain the seizure comes from will
determine the way the seizure looks. Partial seizures can be classified based on either
the symptoms of the seizure or the part of the brain where they start.
Based on the symptoms of the seizures, partial
seizures can be divided into simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures.
Simple
partial seizures:
Simple
partial seizures stay in just one area of the brain and don’t interfere with
thinking.
Depending
on the area of the brain affected, these seizures could be expressed as shaking of a small
part of the body, an unusual tingling or numbness of a localized body part, or even an
unusual smell, visual hallucination, or ill-defined feeling.
Simple
partial seizures are often also called “auras”. Regardless of the specific
symptom, in all simple partial seizures, the person remains completely aware and alert
during the seizure.
Complex partial seizures:
The
critical feature of the complex partial seizure is that the person has altered
consciousness, so that he may be confused or staring unresponsively.
There
may also be subtle, repetitive and stereotypical movements of the face or extremities
(automatisms).
Although
complex partial seizures can look similar to absence seizures, they usually last longer,
typically 1-2 minutes.
In
addition, unlike absence seizures, complex partial seizures often are preceded by an aura
and are followed by a state of sleepiness.
Sometimes
a complex partial seizure can start in just one area and spread throughout the entire
brain, resulting in a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. This type is known as complex
partial with secondary generalization.
Here
is a link to a much more detailed description
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