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Seizure Disorder
What is it?
Epilepsy is a chronic condition. Affected individuals suffer from periodic seizures over an extended period. A seizure occurs when a cell or group of cells in the brain is overstimulated. It's possible to have a seizure and not have epilepsy, and there is no certain number of seizures that must occur before epilepsy is diagnosed. Epilepsy is not associated with any particular type of seizure.
To determine the type of seizure experienced by an individual, a doctor must first classify the seizure. Seizures are usually divided into two classes--generalized and partial. They are placed into these classes based on how much of the brain is involved at the onset of the seizure. With generalized seizures, the entire brain is involved. In partial seizures, only part of the brain is involved. However, the portion of the brain that is initially responsible for partial seizure activity may become larger and eventually progress into a generalized seizure.
Generalized Seizures
The most common types of generalized seizures include:
- Absence seizures
- Myoclonic seizures
- Tonic-clonic seizures
- Atonic seizures
All types of generalized seizures share several characteristics. All result in a loss of consciousness, which usually manifests as a loss of awareness during the seizure. This means that affected individuals can't respond to their environment. There is almost always a recovery period after a generalized seizure; during this time individuals may be abnormally drowsy or confused. Generalized seizures usually last only a few minutes.
Partial Seizures
Partial seizures are divided further into two groups--simple and complex.
- Simple Partial Seizures
- Individuals do not lose consciousness and are usually able to respond to their environment.
- Individuals suffering from a simple partial seizure may demonstrate a variety of symptoms during the seizure. These symptoms include but are not limited to hallucinations, deja vu, and increased perception of fear or pleasure.
- This type of seizure usually lasts only about a minute.
- Complex Partial Seizures
- Individuals lose consciousness during complex partial seizures; however, they are still able to interact with their surroundings. They are unaware of what they are doing and upon returning to consciousness have no recollection of what they did. Those experiencing this type of seizure may wander around or cry.
- The loss of consciousness typically lasts only 2 minutes.
- Like individuals who suffer generalized seizures, those who experience complex partial seizures may have a recovery period during which they appear drowsy or confused.
Status Epilepticus
A progressive condition associated with seizures is referred to as status epilepticus. Individuals with status epilepticus suffer from a single seizure lasting more than 30 minutes or have recurrent seizures without a period of consciousness between seizures.
Although status epilepticus can result from any type of seizure, tonic-clonic seizures are associated with this condition most commonly. This type of status epilepticus, called generalized convulsive status epilepticus (GCSE), accounts for 75% of status epilepticus cases every year. This is the most serious kind of seizure, and individuals should receive medical attention as soon as possible because of the possibility of brain damage or death.
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What is it?
