Seizures Flashcards
Define Seizure
Seizure is a clinical event: An intermittent derangement of the nervous system due to an excessive and disorderly discharge of cerebral nervous tissue
The “opposite of a stroke”- “gain of function”
Define epilepsy
“Epilepsy” implies the risk for recurrent seizures in the absence of an extra-cerebral cause
Differentiate partial from generalized seizure
Partial: focal onset in the brain
Generalized: the entire brain seizes at once
Differentiate simple from complex seizures
simple: no loss of consciousness
Complex: loss of consciosness
What are partial seizures with secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures
Focal onset that evolves to a bilateral convulsive seizure
Seizures that present with an “epigastric aura” arise in what lobe?
Temporal lobe
What direction to people look with regards to a right sided stroke/right sided seizure?
People look INTO a stroke (area of less activity) and AWAY from a seizure (area of more activity)
-people always look to the area of less activity
How might a frontal lobe seizure present?
Large movements- Girl sat up and swung her arm around. Looks away from side of seizure
How do parietal lobe seizures present?
Uncommon
May describe numbness or tingling of the lips, fingers or toes. Can have fixed, formed, visual hallucinations
How do occipital lobe seizures present?
Usually darkness or flashes of light can (can easily be confused with a migraine
Red is the most commonly described color
Which age group gets absence seizures?
pediatrics: ages 4-10
What is the characteristic ECG seen in absence seizures?
3 hz spike-and-wave
How do you treat absence seizures?
Ethosuximide
What are myoclonic seizures?
shock-like or lightening-like contraction of a group of muscles
Describe Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. What precipitates it?
Myoclonic jerks that often occur in the morning shortly after awakening in teenagers
Can be precipitated by alcohol use & sleep deprivation
