Epilepsy: causes and treatment Flashcards
What is a seizure
A transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain
What causes different type of epileptic symptom
Some seizures occur in different networks of cerebral neurons
What is epilepsy
A pathological and enduring tendency to have recurrent seizures and by the neuro-biologic, cognitive, psychological and social consequences of this condition
Why does seizure type matter
Seizure type often determines treatment
What are the two main type of seizures
Generalised seizures- starts simultaneously in both hemispheres
Focal seizures- Seizure starts in a focus and then spreads
What are the 3 subtypes of common generalised seizures
Typical absence
Myoclonic
Tonic-clonic
When do Absence seizures start
What are symptoms
Childhood
Sudden loss and return of consciousness
Flickery eye movements
Some Involuntary movement
Frequent brief attacks (1-30s)
What do Absence Seizures respond to
Some anti-epileptic drugs and not others
What does the EEG in an absence seizure look like
Spike and wave pattern
Occur at frequency of 3Hz
What is a Myoclonic seizure like
When is it worse
Sudden, brief, shock-like muscle contractions (Myoclonic jerk)
Usually bilateral arm jerks
Define certain Epilepsy syndromes
–>Often worse in mornings
–>Precipitated by sleep deprivation and alcohol
What do Myoclonic seizures respond to
Particular anti-epileptics
What are the features of Tonic-CLonic seizures
Sudden onset, gasp, fall
Tonic phase with cyanosis
Clonic phase
Post-ictal phase
Tongue bitten and incontinence
Noisy breathing
Headache and muscle pain afterwards
What are types of uncommon generalised seizures
what are they usually associated with
Atypical absence
Tonic
Atonic
–>Severe epilepsy
What are symptoms of atonic seizures
Sudden dropping
Limp and unconscious
Only lasts a split second
More common in children with severe epilepsy
What is first seen in a focal seizure that starts in motor area
Twitching or jerking
What is first seen in a focal seizure that starts in a visual area of brain
Coloured lights
What happens as a focal seizure spreads
Loss of awareness and involuntary movement
What are focal seizures often caused by
Brain lesions
What is the most common type of Temporal Lobe seizures
Temporal Lobe Seizures
What are the Auras of a Temporal Lobe Seizure
What are symptoms as it spreads
1) Rising sensation in stomach
2) Olfactory and gustatory hallucinations
3) Deja vu
- Suddenly stops and blank stares
- Loss of responding and awareness
- Mouth movements
- Fidgeting or postures-automatisms
Symptoms of a focal seizure becoming tonic-clonic
(tonic) Body goes stiff. (clonic) Then your limbs jerk about and you may lose control of bowel or bladder etc
What is the epilepsy type of someone having :
- myoclonus and tonic clonic seizures
- With generalised EEG findings and normal MRI
- Onset age 16
Juvenile Myoclonic epilepsy
What is the epilepsy type of someone having
- Aura of fear and rising sensation and blank look
- ONset of 8
- Focal EEG findings
- Lesion in left hippocampus on MRI
Focal epilepsy: temporal lobe
What are signs of idiopathic epilepsy
No brain lesions
No intellectual impairment
Often generalised seizures
Easy to treat. Seizures usually controlled
What are signs of symptomatic epilepsy
Sign og underlyging lesion or brain disorder. Often cognitive problems, abnormal MRI common
Seizures not controlled
What is Encephalitis
Inflammation of the brain
Examples of brain disorders causing seizures
Encephalitis
Vascular lesion
Hippocampal scarring
Tumour
