Seizure Disorders

Question 1

define seizures

Answer 1

refers to an involuntary spasm or contraction of muscles

Question 2

define epilepsy

Answer 2

seizures are a symptom of epilepsy

and epilepsy is defined as having at least two seizures

Question 3

what is epilepsy

Answer 3

the brain has an underlying tendency to produce sudden bursts of electrical energy that disrupt other brain functions

Question 4

when does seizures occur

Answer 4

believed to occur when a group of abnormal brain cells fire at the same time

Question 5

epilepsy is a symptom of a neurological disorder which means

Answer 5

a disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in the form of seizures

Question 6

epilepsy is a disorder not a disease

Answer 6

it is not contagious

Question 7

prevalence of epilepsy estimates for epilepsy consistently have ranged from ___to___% of the general population and in Canada approximately ___%has epilepsy

Answer 7

0. 5-1.5

0. 6

Question 8

what is the idiopathic cause of epilepsy

Answer 8

in 50% of all cases the cause of epilepsy is idiopathic or unknown

Question 9

what are the most common causes of epilepsy

Answer 9

brain tumor 
stroke
head trauma 
injury 
infection 
or systemic illness of the mother during pregnancy 
brain injury to infant during delivery 
poisoning
substance abuse of alcoholism

Question 10

what are some of the old outdated classification system for epilepsy

Answer 10

grand mal
petit mal
jacksonian
jackknife 
psychomotor seizures

Question 11

what is a partial seizure

Answer 11

occur when the discharge from the abnormal brain cells remains in only one section of the brain
partial seizures can be classified into two distinct divisions - elementary and complex

Question 12

what is elementary partial seizures

Answer 12

involve only one section of the brain and the person does not lose consciousness.

Question 13

what is complex partial seizures

Answer 13

involve parts of the brain that control thought processes. the person is not unconscious but experiences reduced consciousness. the person may make senseless movements such as walking around while pulling at his or her clothes smacking his or her lips or speaking in an unintelligible manner. the seizures generally last only a few minutes and may be followed by confusion

Question 14

what are generalized seizures

Answer 14

there is a loss of consciousness

if the loss is brief the seizure is called a petit mal or absence seizure

Question 15

the absence seizure generally lasts

Answer 15

a few seconds and usually consists of the staring or rolling back of the eyes

Question 16

another type of generalized seizure is the

Answer 16

tonic-clonic
the person typically loses consciousness stiffens all over has jerking movements of the arms and legs and has loss of urine. at onset the person temporarily stops breathing and the skin may become pale or bluish
the usual time of the seizure is 2-3 minutes and following the seizure the person is often sleeping and has muscle soreness

Question 17

what events may trigger a seizure

Answer 17

stress, poor nutrition, flickering lights, skipping meals, illness, fever and allergies, lack of sleep, emotions such as anger worry or fear, heat/humidity

Question 18

what is the major form of treatment

Answer 18

long term drug therapy

brain surgery is recommended only when medication fails

Question 19

with medication approaximalty ___% of people with epilepsy are seizure free, and about 20-35% have fairly good control

Answer 19

50%

Question 20

epilepsy and psychopathology

Answer 20

individuals with epilepsy are commonly considered to be at high risk of psychological and psychiatric disturbances (20-30% have disturbances)

Question 21

as many as ____ of individuals with autism spectrum disorder also have epilepsy

Answer 21

1 third

Question 22

RTs who work with those with seizures typically focus on a

Answer 22

secondary diagnosis (autism, psychiatric, physical disability)

Question 23

when working with clients with epilepsy RTs need to

Answer 23

remain aware of certain activity limitations that may apply to clients
be aware of medication side effects
know appropriate procedures for handling seizures that may occur during activities