Seizure Disorders Flashcards
Definition of Seizure
–A sudden, excessive, disorderly discharge of neuronal activity in the brain
Definition of “Seizure Disorder/Epilepsy”
a tendency to have recurrent seizures in the absence of any immediately treatable cause such as hypoglycemia or alcohol withdrawal
Definition of “Convulsion”
bodies muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body
A sudden, explosive, disorderly discharge of cerebral neurons causing an alteration in brain function
- Onset? 2
- What does it involve? 4
- Temporarily alters what?
- Often manifests as what?
- Sudden or transient
- Involves motor, sensory, autonomic, or psychic manifestations
- Temporarily alters systemic arousal
- Often manifests as convulsions but there are many different kinds of seizures
- What is epilepsy?
2. How may it manifest? 3
- A condition in which seizures occur without known, correctable cause(s), thus seizures occur and reoccur
- —The term epilepsy is all-encompassing and says nothing about the type of seizure, however the specific area of the brain affected may suggest the specific type of seizure - May also manifests as
- strange sensations,
- emotions, and/or
- behavior including convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness
Epilepsy - Pathophysiology
What is epilepsy a result of?
Causes? 3
Result of complex genetic mutations and environmental factors can cause
- Abnormal brain wiring
- Chemical (neurotransmitter) imbalances
- Abnormal connections made when attempting to repair an injury
Epilepsy - Pathophysiology:
- Hypersensitive neurons may exhibit what?
- What is this easily activated by? 6
- a sudden or violent depolarization
- hyperthermia,
- hypoxia,
- hypoglycemia,
- hyponatremia,
- sensory stimulation,
- certain sleep phases
Epilepsy - Pathophysiology:
Epileptogenic neurons act differently in which ways to cause this? 3
- fire more intensely,
- more often, and
- with greater amplitude than normal neurons.
Epilepsy - Pathophysiology
1. 1. At the threshold point, cortical excitation spreads to which areas? 3
- Inhibitory neurons in the what 3 areas react to cortical excitation?
- subcortical,
- thalamic
- brain stem areas
- cortex,
- anterior thalamus
- basal ganglia
Other causes of Seizures?
4
- Physiologic stress
- Sleep deprivation
- Fever
- Withdrawal from ETOH or sedative drugs
Describe the difference between provoked and unprovoked seizures.
- Provoked seizures: Triggered by certain provoking factors in an otherwise healthy brain
- Unprovoked seizures: Occur in the setting of persistent brain pathology
What are some provoking factors for seizures?
4
- Metabolic abnormalities
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Illicit drug intoxication and withdrawal
- High fever in children
The type of seizure a person has depends on a variety of many things such as?
5
- The area of the brain affected
- Underlying cause of seizure
- Focal or Generalized
- Occurrence during wakefulness or sleep
- Known triggers
Exacerbations of known, previously controlled seizure disorders are common. May be due to:
2
- noncompliance with medications
2. alcohol use
Epilepsy: Most deaths are due to what?
What are the remainder due to? 3
- Most deaths are due to the underlying cause of epilepsy
- The remainder are due to
- accidents (trauma, burns, aspiration)
- suicide
- sudden unexpected death SUDEP
What is SUDEP?
defined as sudden, unexpected, nontraumatic, nondrowning death in a patient with epilepsy
Describe the prodrome in epileptic pts?
Common symptoms of prodrome?6
May experience feeling, sensations or changes in behavior hours or days before seizure
- Déjà vu
- Smells, sounds, taste
- Fear/panic
- Dizzy/lightheaded
- HA
- nausea
What is the aura of a seizure?
First symptom of a seizure and considered part of the seizure
- What is the middle phase of a seizure called?
- What is the timeline of this phase?
- Common symtpoms of this phase? 7
- “ictal phase”
- Begins from first symptom to end of seizure
- Loss of awareness (often called “blackout”)
- Confused, feeling spacy
- Distracted/daydreaming
- Difficulty talking
- Unable to swallow
- Repeated blinking of eyes
- Lip smacking or chewing movements
- Whats the ending phase of the seizure called?
- How long can it take for the person to recover?
- Common symtpoms? 6
- Called “postictal phase”
- Recover immediately or minutes to hours
- Common symptoms
- Slow to respond
- Sleepy
- Confused
- Injuries
- —-Bruising, cuts, broken bones
- HA
- Nausea
What is the definition of Loss of Consciousness?
A state of complete or partial unawareness or lack of response to sensory stimuli as a result of hypoxia caused by respiratory insufficiency or shock; from metabolic or chemical brain depressants such as drugs, poisons, ketones, or electrolyte imbalance; or from a form of brain pathologic condition such as trauma, seizures, cerebrovascular insult, brain tumor, or infection
- What are focal (partial) seizures?
2. What are the two categories?
- Those with onset limited to part of one cerebral hemisphere
- Focal seizures without impairment of consciousness
- Focal seizures with impairment of consciousness
- What are generalized seizures?
2. What are the kinds of these seizures? 4
- Those that involve the cerebral cortex of both sides of the brain
- Absence (petit mal)
- Tonic-Clonic (grand mal)
- Myoclonic
- Clonic, Tonic, Atonic
- Focal Seizures: The initial discharge arises from where?
2. What are the categories? 4
- from a focal, unilateral area of the brain without impaired consciousness
- Motor (Jacksonian March)
- Sensory
- Autonomic
- Psychic