Post by Mandi on Oct 11, 2006 21:18:07 GMT -5
Types of Seizures
Absence Seizures
Absence seizures are brief episodes of staring. These can also be referred to as petit mals. During the seizure, awareness and responsiveness are impaired. People who have them usually don't realize when they've had one. There is no warning before a seizure, and the person is completely alert immediately afterward. Common muscle movements include eye blinking, slight tasting movements of the mouth, hand movements such as rubbing the fingers together, and contraction or relaxation of the muscles.
Atonic Seizures
Atonic seizures happen when muscles suddenly lose strength. The eyelids may droop, the head may nod, and the person may drop things and often falls to the ground. These seizures are also called "drop attacks" or "drop seizures." The person usually remains conscious.
Atypical Absence Seizures
Atypical means unusual or not typical. The person will stare but often is somewhat responsive. Eye blinking or slight jerking movements of the lips may occur. This behavior can be hard to distinguish from the person's usual behavior.
Clonic Seizures
Clonic Seizures means rapidly alternating contraction and relaxation of a muscle such as repeated jerking. The movements cannot be stopped by restraining or repositioning the arms or legs.
Complex Partial Seizures
These seizures usually start in a small area of the temporal lobe or frontal lobe of the brain. They quickly involve other areas of the brain that affect alertness and awareness. So even though the person's eyes are open and they may make movements that seem to have a purpose, they're not really alert. Complex partial seizures starting in the frontal lobe tend to be shorter than the ones from the temporal lobe. The seizures that start in the frontal lobe are also more likely to include automatisms.
Myoclonic Seizures
Myoclonic seizures are brief, shock-like jerks of a muscle or a group of muscles.
Psychogenic Seizures
Events that look like seizures but are not due to epilepsy are called nonepileptic seizures. A common type is described as psychogenic, which means beginning in the mind. Psychogenic seizures are caused by subconscious mental activity, not abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term pseudoseizures has also been used to refer to these events.
Secondarily Generalized Seizures
These seizures are called secondarily generalized because they only become generalized (spread to both sides of the brain) after the initial event, a partial seizure, has already begun. They happen when a burst of electrical activity in a limited area spreads throughout the brain.
Simple Partial Seizures
These types of seizures vary so greatly between person to person they are divided into subcatagories.
Motor seizures:
These cause a change in muscle activity. Jerking of a finger, speech arrest, hand movements, laughter, weakness, etc. The person may or may not be aware of these movements.
Sensory seizures:
These cause changes in any one of the senses. People with sensory seizures may smell or taste things that aren't there; hear clicking, ringing, or a person's voice when there is no actual sound; or feel a sensation of "pins and needles" or numbness. Seizures may even be painful for some patients. They may feel as if they are floating or spinning in space. They may have visual hallucinations, seeing things that aren't there. They also may experience illusions—distortions of true sensations.
Autonomic seizures:
These cause changes in the part of the nervous system that automatically controls bodily functions. These common seizures may include strange or unpleasant sensations in the stomach, chest, or head; changes in the heart rate or breathing; sweating; or goose bumps.
Psychic seizures:
These seizures change how people think, feel, or experience things. They may have problems with memory, garbled speech, an inability to find the right word, or trouble understanding spoken or written language. They may suddenly feel emotions like fear, depression, or happiness with no outside reason. Some may feel as though they are outside their body or may have feelings of déja vu or jamais vu.
Tonic Seizures
During Tonic seizures, the muscle tone is greatly increased and the body, arms, or legs make sudden stiffening movements. Consciousness is usually preserved. Tonic seizures most often occur during sleep and usually involve all or most of the brain, affecting both sides of the body. If the person is standing when the seizure starts, they often will fall.
Tonic-clonic Seizures
This type is what most people think of when they hear the word "seizure." These are also referred to as grand mal seizures. As implied by the name, they combine the characteristics of tonic seizures and clonic seizures. The tonic phase comes first: All the muscles stiffen. Air being forced past the vocal cords causes a cry or groan. The person loses consciousness and falls to the floor. The tongue or cheek may be bitten, so bloody saliva may come from the mouth. The person may turn a bit blue in the face. After the tonic phase comes the clonic phase: The arms and usually the legs begin to jerk rapidly and rhythmically, bending and relaxing at the elbows, hips, and knees. After a few minutes, the jerking slows and stops. Bladder or bowel control sometimes is lost as the body relaxes. Consciousness returns slowly, and the person may be drowsy, confused, agitated, or depressed.
Absence Seizures
Absence seizures are brief episodes of staring. These can also be referred to as petit mals. During the seizure, awareness and responsiveness are impaired. People who have them usually don't realize when they've had one. There is no warning before a seizure, and the person is completely alert immediately afterward. Common muscle movements include eye blinking, slight tasting movements of the mouth, hand movements such as rubbing the fingers together, and contraction or relaxation of the muscles.
Atonic Seizures
Atonic seizures happen when muscles suddenly lose strength. The eyelids may droop, the head may nod, and the person may drop things and often falls to the ground. These seizures are also called "drop attacks" or "drop seizures." The person usually remains conscious.
Atypical Absence Seizures
Atypical means unusual or not typical. The person will stare but often is somewhat responsive. Eye blinking or slight jerking movements of the lips may occur. This behavior can be hard to distinguish from the person's usual behavior.
Clonic Seizures
Clonic Seizures means rapidly alternating contraction and relaxation of a muscle such as repeated jerking. The movements cannot be stopped by restraining or repositioning the arms or legs.
Complex Partial Seizures
These seizures usually start in a small area of the temporal lobe or frontal lobe of the brain. They quickly involve other areas of the brain that affect alertness and awareness. So even though the person's eyes are open and they may make movements that seem to have a purpose, they're not really alert. Complex partial seizures starting in the frontal lobe tend to be shorter than the ones from the temporal lobe. The seizures that start in the frontal lobe are also more likely to include automatisms.
Myoclonic Seizures
Myoclonic seizures are brief, shock-like jerks of a muscle or a group of muscles.
Psychogenic Seizures
Events that look like seizures but are not due to epilepsy are called nonepileptic seizures. A common type is described as psychogenic, which means beginning in the mind. Psychogenic seizures are caused by subconscious mental activity, not abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term pseudoseizures has also been used to refer to these events.
Secondarily Generalized Seizures
These seizures are called secondarily generalized because they only become generalized (spread to both sides of the brain) after the initial event, a partial seizure, has already begun. They happen when a burst of electrical activity in a limited area spreads throughout the brain.
Simple Partial Seizures
These types of seizures vary so greatly between person to person they are divided into subcatagories.
Motor seizures:
These cause a change in muscle activity. Jerking of a finger, speech arrest, hand movements, laughter, weakness, etc. The person may or may not be aware of these movements.
Sensory seizures:
These cause changes in any one of the senses. People with sensory seizures may smell or taste things that aren't there; hear clicking, ringing, or a person's voice when there is no actual sound; or feel a sensation of "pins and needles" or numbness. Seizures may even be painful for some patients. They may feel as if they are floating or spinning in space. They may have visual hallucinations, seeing things that aren't there. They also may experience illusions—distortions of true sensations.
Autonomic seizures:
These cause changes in the part of the nervous system that automatically controls bodily functions. These common seizures may include strange or unpleasant sensations in the stomach, chest, or head; changes in the heart rate or breathing; sweating; or goose bumps.
Psychic seizures:
These seizures change how people think, feel, or experience things. They may have problems with memory, garbled speech, an inability to find the right word, or trouble understanding spoken or written language. They may suddenly feel emotions like fear, depression, or happiness with no outside reason. Some may feel as though they are outside their body or may have feelings of déja vu or jamais vu.
Tonic Seizures
During Tonic seizures, the muscle tone is greatly increased and the body, arms, or legs make sudden stiffening movements. Consciousness is usually preserved. Tonic seizures most often occur during sleep and usually involve all or most of the brain, affecting both sides of the body. If the person is standing when the seizure starts, they often will fall.
Tonic-clonic Seizures
This type is what most people think of when they hear the word "seizure." These are also referred to as grand mal seizures. As implied by the name, they combine the characteristics of tonic seizures and clonic seizures. The tonic phase comes first: All the muscles stiffen. Air being forced past the vocal cords causes a cry or groan. The person loses consciousness and falls to the floor. The tongue or cheek may be bitten, so bloody saliva may come from the mouth. The person may turn a bit blue in the face. After the tonic phase comes the clonic phase: The arms and usually the legs begin to jerk rapidly and rhythmically, bending and relaxing at the elbows, hips, and knees. After a few minutes, the jerking slows and stops. Bladder or bowel control sometimes is lost as the body relaxes. Consciousness returns slowly, and the person may be drowsy, confused, agitated, or depressed.