Types of Seizures

Question 1

What is a seizure?

Answer 1

burst of uncontrolled electrical activity among the neurons in the brain

Question 2

What is a syndrome?

Answer 2

when someone has more than one type of seizure?

Question 3

What are the two main types of seizures?

Answer 3

generalized and focal

Question 4

What is a seizure with no clinical manifestation called?

Answer 4

subclinical seizure or electrographic seizure

Question 5

What is a seizure with clinical manifestation called?

Answer 5

clinical seizure or electroclincial seizure

Question 6

What condition causes seizures that look epileptic but not caused by abnormal brain activity?

Answer 6

P.N.E.S

Question 7

Where is a generalized seizure found?

Answer 7

usually involving al the leads

Question 8

Where is a focal seizure found?

Answer 8

have a single area from which they originate, but can be lateralized

Question 9

What does GTC seizure stand for?

Answer 9

generalized tonic clonic

Question 10

What is a GTC seizure?

Answer 10

generalized seizure that usually start with a period of tonic (appears like stiffening), tracing will evolve into intermittent burst of spike and wave followed by period of post-itcal attenuated slowing

Question 11

What is a focal, secondarily generalized seizure?

Answer 11

seizure starts in a limited area on one side of brain and spreads to involve both sides. Can be clinical or subclinical

Question 12

What is a temporal lobe seziure?

Answer 12

clinical seizure in the temporal lobe that may be preceded by an aura or warning symptom such as abnormal sensations, hallucinations, or vivid deja vu

Question 13

What is a tonic seizure?

Answer 13

clinical seizure, mostly involving all the leads, consists of extension of legs, stiffening of arms/legs. Can last 10-30secs

Question 14

What is a clonic seizure?

Answer 14

clinical seizure that involves mostly all the leads and vigorous repetitive jerking of arms and legs

Question 15

What is a frontal lobe seizure?

Answer 15

clinical seizure that mostly involves all leads, patients have brief focal sz during sleep with spike in frontal lobe with more dramatic movements such as bicycling, kicking, thrashing, and/or bouncing up and down

Question 16

What is nocturnal frontal lobe seizure?

Answer 16

clinical seizure, seen in frontal temporal leads in which epileptiform activities may only be seen at night. Can have vocalization and tonic posturing. Sometimes only EMG artifact can be seen/ may not be seen on a surface level

Question 17

What is an atonic seizure?

Answer 17

also know as drop attacks, generalized clinical seizure that can manifest as a head drop or full body drop to the floor. there is no LOC, no aura, and no post ictal confusion

Question 18

What is an absence seizure?

Answer 18

generalized clinical seizure that manifests as slight hesitation or stares off, usually lasting a few seconds with possible automatisms. EEG shows 3hz spike and wave, possibly higher in amplitude in frontal lobe but still generalized seizure

Question 19

What are epileptic spasms/myoclonic?

Answer 19

generalized clinical that manifests as twitching/muscle or brief jerking movements typically lasting one or two more seconds. EEG shows spike and wave followed by brief attenuation

Question 20

What is a simple partial seizure?

Answer 20

clinical seizure involving the central temporal leads with possibility of secondary generalization, patient is awake and can recall what happened. an aura can be a simple partial seziure.

Question 21

What is an aura?

Answer 21

a warning experienced by pt that a seizure might be imminent, this may be a seizure or part of the coming seizure that is focal with no LOC

Question 22

List some examples of aura’s

Answer 22

tingling, numbness, headache, temperature change, pain

Question 23

What is an atypical absence seizure?

Answer 23

generalized seizure that manifests as twitching/ staring off but with no impairment of consciousness. EEG shows 1.5-2.5hz spike and wave

Question 24

What is a temporal complex seizure?

Answer 24

clinical seizure found in the temporal leads, can start with an aura then lead to LOC or may start with LOC and frequently have automatisms

Question 25

What is an adversive seizure?

Answer 25

clinical seizure found in the central temporal leads that manifests as turning of the head, body, or eyes usually in the direction away from the discharge. the focus is usually posterior of the frontal lobe

Question 26

What is a jacksonian seizure?

Answer 26

clinical seizure, found in specific leads or eventually involving all the leads. pt left or right thumb may start jerking, moving to the fingers, then the arm, then the face. They are focal but may lead to secondary generalization

Question 27

What is a gelastic seizure?

Answer 27

clinical seizure, known as the laughing seizure found in the frontal temporal leads. can be accompanied with forced eye movements, chewing, teeth grinding, and/ or tonic clonic jerking

Question 28

What is a dacrystic seizure?

Answer 28

similar to gelastic, except pt is crying

Question 29

What is a febrile seizure?

Answer 29

clinical seizure that is seen in all leads, occurring on the first day of a fever, they are generalized tonic/clonic and fall under special syndromes category

Question 30

What are infantile spams?

Answer 30

clinical seizure that age onsent between 2-7 months and last between 1-15 seconds. characterized a stiffening of muscles and head or body may drop forward. can lead to West’s syndrome.

Question 31

What are neonatal seizures?

Answer 31

clinical seizures in neonates with age onset birth to 1 month, can be difficult to distinguish between normal baby movements or seizures. can manifest as pedal movements of legs, swimming movement of arms, changes in heart rate, etc. falls under the undetermined category. they are lateralized, but may switch sides

Question 32

At what stage are seizures easier to treat?

Answer 32

Young children, the younger it is caught the better

Question 33

What are epileptic seizures?

Answer 33

electrical hypersynchronization of neuronal firing in the cerebral cortex

Question 34

What is epilepsy?

Answer 34

brain disorder manifesting in two or more unprovoked epileptic seizures

Question 35

What is status epilepticus?

Answer 35

prolonged seizure activity >10min, or seizures reoccurring prior to recovery to interictal baseline

Question 36

What are the other categories of seizures?

Answer 36

Withdrawl seizures

Question 37

What are withdrawal seizures?

Answer 37

occur 24-48 hours after drug or alcohol addict stops taking drugs or alcohol. it falls under special category and should not be treated like epilepsy.