Seizure Disorders Flashcards
define seizures
refers to an involuntary spasm or contraction of muscles
define epilepsy
seizures are a symptom of epilepsy
and epilepsy is defined as having at least two seizures
what is epilepsy
the brain has an underlying tendency to produce sudden bursts of electrical energy that disrupt other brain functions
when does seizures occur
believed to occur when a group of abnormal brain cells fire at the same time
epilepsy is a symptom of a neurological disorder which means
a disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in the form of seizures
epilepsy is a disorder not a disease
it is not contagious
prevalence of epilepsy estimates for epilepsy consistently have ranged from ___to___% of the general population and in Canada approximately ___%has epilepsy
- 5-1.5
0. 6
what is the idiopathic cause of epilepsy
in 50% of all cases the cause of epilepsy is idiopathic or unknown
what are the most common causes of epilepsy
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
what are some of the old outdated classification system for epilepsy
grand mal petit mal jacksonian jackknife psychomotor seizures
what is a partial seizure
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
what is elementary partial seizures
involve only one section of the brain and the person does not lose consciousness.
what is complex partial seizures
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
what are generalized seizures
there is a loss of consciousness
if the loss is brief the seizure is called a petit mal or absence seizure
the absence seizure generally lasts
a few seconds and usually consists of the staring or rolling back of the eyes
another type of generalized seizure is the
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
what events may trigger a seizure
stress, poor nutrition, flickering lights, skipping meals, illness, fever and allergies, lack of sleep, emotions such as anger worry or fear, heat/humidity
what is the major form of treatment
long term drug therapy
brain surgery is recommended only when medication fails
with medication approaximalty ___% of people with epilepsy are seizure free, and about 20-35% have fairly good control
50%
epilepsy and psychopathology
individuals with epilepsy are commonly considered to be at high risk of psychological and psychiatric disturbances (20-30% have disturbances)
as many as ____ of individuals with autism spectrum disorder also have epilepsy
1 third
RTs who work with those with seizures typically focus on a
secondary diagnosis (autism, psychiatric, physical disability)
when working with clients with epilepsy RTs need to
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
