Epilepsy: Type of Seizures and Their Symptoms
Based on the type of behavior and brain activity, seizures are divided into two broad categories: generalized and partial (also called local or focal). Classifying the type of seizure helps physicians diagnose whether or not a patient has
epilepsy.
Generalized seizures are produced by electrical impulses from throughout the entire brain, whereas partial seizures are produced (at least initially) by electrical impulses in a relatively small part of the brain. The part of the brain generating the seizures is sometimes called the focus. The most common types of seizures are listed below:
Generalized Seizures
(Produced by the entire brain) |
Symptoms
|
|
1. "Grand Mal" or Generalized tonic-clonic
|
Unconsciousness, convulsions, muscle rigidity |
|
2. Absence
|
Brief loss of consciousness |
|
3. Myoclonic
|
Sporadic (isolated), jerking movements |
|
4. Clonic
|
Repetitive, jerking movements |
|
5. Tonic
|
Muscle stiffness, rigidity |
|
6. Atonic
|
Loss of muscle tone |
Glioma Brain Tumor: Senator Ted Kennedy, What Does It Mean?
Medical Author: Benjamin C Wedro, MD,
FAAEM
Medical Editor: Melissa Stoppler, M.D.
When one of our political leaders becomes ill, it makes headline news.
Senator Ted Kennedy suffered a seizure on Saturday,
May 17, 2008 which led to a quick visit to Cape Cod Hospital and a medical
helicopter flight to Massachusetts General Hospital, home base for Harvard
Medical School. On May 20,
2008 doctors announced that a tumor had been identified as the cause of the
seizure. Tissue samples taken at biopsy revealed that
Senator Kennedy has a malignant glioma of the parietal lobe of his brain.
Seizures occur when the brain becomes irritable and
abnormal electrical
firings cause alterations in normal brain function. Usually, the patient becomes
temporarily unresponsive and the exact location of the electrical short circuits
will determine what abnormal physical findings are witnessed. If they involve
the part of the brain that deals with movement, there may be rhythmic shaking or
jerking. The seizure may involve just a mild absence or staring spell. It may be
preceded by an aura in which the patient knows that a seizure is about to occur.
There may be a post-ictal or recovery phase, in which the patient slowly returns
to normal function as the brain resets itself. There are many different variants
of seizures, and eventually a neurologist will get
involved with the diagnosis
and treatment.
Seizures are pretty common. The chance of having a
seizure in your lifetime is almost 10%.
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Generalized seizures
There are six types of generalized seizures. The most common and dramatic, and therefore the most well known, is the generalized convulsion, also called the grand-mal seizure. In this type of seizure, the patient loses consciousness and usually collapses. The loss of consciousness is followed by generalized body stiffening (called the "tonic" phase of the seizure) for 30 to 60 seconds, then by violent jerking (the "clonic" phase) for 30 to 60 seconds, after which the patient goes into a deep sleep (the "postictal" or after-seizure phase). During grand-mal seizures, injuries and accidents may occur, such as tongue biting and urinary incontinence.
Absence seizures cause a short loss of consciousness (just a few seconds) with few or no symptoms. The patient, most often a child, typically interrupts an activity and stares blankly. These seizures begin and end abruptly and may occur several times a day. Patients are usually not aware that they are having a seizure, except that they may be aware of "losing time."
Myoclonic seizures consist of sporadic jerks, usually on both sides of the body. Patients sometimes describe the jerks as brief electrical shocks. When violent, these seizures may result in dropping or involuntarily throwing objects.
Clonic seizures are repetitive, rhythmic jerks that involve both sides of the body at the same time.
Tonic seizures are characterized by stiffening of the muscles.
Atonic seizures consist of a sudden and general loss of muscle tone,
particularly in the arms and legs, which often results in a fall.
Partial Seizures
(Produced by a small area of the brain) |
Symptoms |
1. Simple (awareness is retained)
a. Simple Motor
b. Simple Sensory
c. Simple Psychological
|
a. Jerking, muscle rigidity, spasms, head-turning
b. Unusual sensations affecting either the vision, hearing, smell taste or touch
c. Memory or emotional disturbances
|
2. Complex
(Impairment of awareness) |
Automatisms such as lip smacking, chewing, fidgeting, walking and other repetitive, involuntary but coordinated movements |
| 3. Partial seizure with secondary generalization |
Symptoms that are initially associated with a preservation of consciousness that then evolves into a loss of consciousness and convulsions. |
Next: Types of partial seizures »
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