Seizures Flashcards
What is a seizure?
“Electrical Storm”
A transient occurrence of signs and or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain
What is epilepsy?
Recurrent unprovoked seizures associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain
Criteria: two or more unprovoked seizures separated by 24 hours
When do you start anti-seizure medication?
After second unprovoked seizure
What is a focal partial seizure?
Seizure that originates from a paroxysmal discharge in a focal area of cerebral cortex (temporal lobe)
What is a primary generalized seizure?
Seizure that stems from abnormal electrical discharge originating from the diencephalic activating system and spread simultanously to all areas of the brain
What are the types (names) of seizures?
Focal aware
Focal with impaired awareness
Focal to Bilateral tonic clonic
Generalized Onset
Unknown
What are the stages of a seizure?
Prodrome
Aura
Ictal phase
Post-ictal phase
When can a prodrome start?
Can start minutes, hours, or days before a seizure
What stage is the first clinical change recognizable to a patient having a seizure?
Aura
How is the ictal phase defined?
Time from the first symptom (including aura) until the end of seizure activity
What symptoms maybe present in a seizure located in the frontal lobe?
Hypermotor activity
What symptoms maybe present in a seizure located in the precentral gyrus?
Focal motor activity, agnosia, neglect
What symptoms maybe present in a seizure located in the temporal lobe?
Oral and manual automatisms, altered consiousness, throat tightening (autonomic sx)
How is the post-ictal phase defined?
Recovery period, time between end of seizure and return to baseline
What are the automatisms associated with a focal with impaired awareness (complex partial) seizure?
Picking at clothes
Bicycling legs
Utilization behavior
Smacking lips
