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Seizures Explained

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Seizures explained 

The definition of epilepsy is the tendency to have recurrent seizures. There are over 40 different types of epilepsy but seizures can be grouped into categories. A seizure is caused by a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in all or some of the brain, disrupting the normal messages that are passed between brain cells. This results in the brain's messages becoming temporarily halted or mixed up. How much of the brain is affected depends on the type of seizure that occurs; generalised seizures affect the whole or most of the brain, while partial seizures only affect parts of the brain. As epilepsy is a condition which has different effects for every individual, the type and frequency of seizures will be different for each person with epilepsy.

Generalised seizures

Generalised seizures involve epileptic activity in all or most of the brain. There are different types of generalised seizure, including tonic-clonic, atonic and absence seizures. Consciousness is always lost, though the person does not necessarily fall to the floor, for example in an absence seizure [link to absence seizure section].

Tonic clonic seizures

Tonic clonic seizures are the most widely recognised epileptic seizure. In a tonic-clonic seizure, the person loses consciousness, the body stiffens, and then they fall to the ground. This is followed by jerking movements, sometimes called convulsions. After a few minutes, the jerking movements usually stop. A student may be confused and need to sleep after the convulsions are over, for minutes or even hours, until recovery is complete. However, some people recover quickly.

Atonic seizures

In atonic seizures all muscle tone is lost and the person simply drops to the ground, hence the other name for this type of seizure, 'drop attack'. When the body goes limp it inevitably falls forward and the person's head could get serious knocks if the seizures occur frequently. Although they fall heavily, the person can usually get up again straight away. If a student’s epilepsy often includes atonic seizures, they may need safety headgear to soften blows to their head.

Absence seizures

In an absence seizure the person stops what they are doing and may stare, blink or look vague for just a few seconds. Because of this, absence seizures can sometimes be mistaken for daydreaming or inattention. You may be able to help your students who have absence seizures by providing written information at the end of a lesson, and helping them catch up on things missed. Absence seizures can occur many times a day.

Partial seizures

In a partial seizure, only parts of the brain are affected. A partial seizure can turn into a generalised seizure as the epileptic activity spreads over the brain, and sometimes a simple partial seizure can acts as an aura or warning that a generalised seizure is imminent.

Simple partial seizures

Some people experience a simple partial seizure on its own, or it may be a warning that the seizure may spread to other parts of the brain. During a simple partial seizure, the person remains fully conscious and the seizure is brief. Some people may experience a smell or taste, a tingling sensation or perhaps going pale or sweating.

Complex partial seizures

In a complex partial seizure it can appear to the onlooker that the person is fully aware of what they are doing, but they may appear to act strangely, for example, plucking at their clothing or just wandering aimlessly. The specific symptoms of a complex partial seizure depend on which area of the brain the seizure is occurring in. It is important to remember that a person experiencing a complex partial seizure cannot control their behaviour, and their consciousness is altered so they cannot follow instructions and may not respond at all.

Auras and warnings

Some people have a sensation such as experiencing a smell or taste, going pale or sweating that can act as a warning (or aura) before there are any outwardly visible signs of a seizure. The aura may occur far enough in advance to give them time to lie down and prevent injury from falling. The type of aura experienced varies from person to person. An aura is, in fact, a simple partial seizure. more information

Non Epileptic Attack Disorder

Non Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD) is not epilepsy. Epileptic seizures occur when there is a surge of electrical activity in the brain (a change in brain activity). During NEAD there is no change in brain activity. NEAD is sometimes referred to as psychogenic seizures. People who experience psychogenic seizures usually do so because they are psychologically or emotionally troubled in some way. Therefore, treatment for NEAD will be different than treating epilepsy. However, it is not uncommon for some people to have both epileptic attacks and NEAD. more information

Sleep seizures

Some people with epilepsy have seizure both while awake and asleep. However, some people only have seizures when they are awake, and some only when they are asleep. Both generalised and partial seizures can occur while asleep. Sleep seizures do not necessarily have an effect on the person’s waking hours. However, people whose sleep is frequently disturbed by seizures are likely to feel drowsy or confused the next day. more information

Syndromes

Some young people have a distinct pattern of seizure types, along with a pattern of learning and behaviour and sometimes other factors. If there is a similar pattern in other people, it is sometimes known as a syndrome. There are several different epilepsy syndromes. more information

Photosensitive epilepsy

Photosensitive epilepsy is the name given to a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by flickering or flashing light. It is often assumed that everybody with epilepsy is photosensitive, but only around five per cent of people with epilepsy are. Photosensitive epilepsy is most common between the ages of nine and 15 and most people with the condition develop it before the age of 20.

Flickering from television can sometimes trigger seizures for some people with photosensitive epilepsy. However, computers and interactive whiteboards should not trigger seizures for most students with photosensitive epilepsy. This is because these usually either flicker at a rate which is too fast to trigger seizures, or do not flicker at all. High contrast, for example black and white stripes, patterned clothing, wallpaper and sunlight through blinds may also trigger seizures for some people with photosensitive epilepsy. more information

Last updated May 2006

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