Seizures Flashcards
when are seizures more prevalent during the lifespan?
early childhood and late adulthood
do you lose consciousness in a simple partial seizure?
no
do you lose consciousness in a complex partial seizure?
yes
may be motor, sensory, autonomic, psychic but without loss of consciousness
simple partial seizures
what do simple partial seizures usually look like?
clonic with repetitive flexion/extension
what is it called when motor activity begins distally, then spreads to the whole extremity?
jacksonian march
what is it called when there is a local paresis that lasts minutes to hours?
todd’s paralysis
what is it called when a seizure lasts hours to days?
epilepsia partialis continua
what other symptoms can you have during a simple partial seizure?
changes in somatic sensations, vision, equilibrium, ANS, and odd feelings
what is it called when focal activity progresses to loss of contact with the environment (e.g. a stare or amnesia)?
complex partial seizure
what are the stages of a complex partial seizure?
- aura of “feeling funny”
- ictal stage with involuntary behaviors
- post ictal confusion
how long does a complex partial seizure last
seconds to hours
what type of seizure is a complex partial seizure, and where in the brain is it most likely to occur?
tonic-clonic;
frontal lobe
are both hemispheres involved with a simple partial seizure?
what about a complex partial seizure?
no with simple;
yes with complex
what is it called when electrical impulses occur simultaneously in both brain hemispheres?
generalized seizure
which type of generalized seizure is a brief LOC without loss of postural control that usually lasts a few seconds
absence seizure (petit mal)
when do absence seizures usually occur in the lifespan?
onset in childhood and remisses in childhood
what is different about an atypical absence seizure?
symptoms last longer, may have more motor features, may be associated with another brain abnormality (like a delay), and are harder to treat
which type of seizure is most common when due to a metabolic derangement?
generalized tonic-clonic seizure (grand mal)
are patients more or less likely to have an aura with a generalized tonic-clonic seizure?
less likely - usually happens suddenly
what are the symptoms of a tonic-clonic seizure?
tonic activity, a change in respiration (e.g. cyanosis), sympathetic symptoms.
then clonic activity, a post-ictal state (unresponsive) and a post-seizure state (HA, aches)
what does an EEG look like during the tonic phase of a seizure?
increased low voltage with high amplitude spikes
what does an EEG look like during the clonic phase of a seizure?
spike and wave activity
which type of seizure involves a loss of motor tone for 1-2 seconds, followed by a brief LOC without post-ictal confusion?
atonic seizures
