20 Questions
What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes a seizure from a focal seizure?
Affecting only part of the brain
What type of seizure is characterized by impairment of consciousness, sometimes with mild clonic, tonic, myoclonic, or atonic components?
Generalized nonmotor seizure
What is the term for a focal seizure that evolves into a generalized seizure?
Secondary generalized seizure
What is the term for a sudden, brief loss of awareness during a seizure?
Impaired awareness
Which type of seizure is characterized by a sudden, brief loss of muscle tone?
Atonic seizure
What is the term for a seizure that occurs due to a readily reversible cause, such as withdrawal from alcohol or drugs?
Provoked seizure
What is the term for a prolonged state of seizure activity, lasting more than 30 minutes?
Status epilepticus
Which type of seizure is characterized by a sudden, brief contraction of a muscle or group of muscles?
Myoclonic seizure
What is the term for a focal seizure that spreads to involve different parts of the limb or body?
Jacksonian march
Which type of seizure is characterized by a sudden loss of awareness, often accompanied by automatisms or other nonmotor symptoms?
Absence seizure
What is the main difference between focal and generalized onset seizures?
The extent of brain involvement
What is the term for seizures that are restricted to one cerebral hemisphere?
Focal seizures
What is the characteristic of automatisms in focal seizures?
They may manifest as motor or nonmotor symptoms
What is the typical pattern of awareness in focal seizures?
Awareness may be impaired or preserved
What is the significance of electroencephalogram (EEG) in seizure classification?
It is used to distinguish between focal and generalized onset seizures
What is the characteristic of absence seizures?
They are characterized by impairment of consciousness, sometimes with mild clonic, tonic, or myoclonic components
What is the term for seizures that originate in, or spread to rapidly involve, bilateral cortical networks?
Generalized onset seizures
What is the characteristic of tonic-clonic seizures?
They typically involve a brief loss of awareness
What is the significance of mental status abnormalities or focal neurologic symptoms in seizure disorders?
They may persist for hours postictally
What is the definition of epilepsy?
Recurrent unprovoked seizures
Study Notes
Seizure Disorders
- Seizure disorders include focal, generalized, and special types of seizures.
Focal Seizures
- Affect only part of the brain.
- Classified by motor or non-motor onset and by whether consciousness is impaired.
- Focal seizures with motor onset include:
- Clonic
- Tonic
- Atonic
- Myoclonic
- Hyperkinetic
- Automatisms
- Focal seizures with non-motor onset include:
- Sensory symptoms (paresthesias or tingling, gustatory, olfactory, visual or auditory sensations)
- Behavior arrest (stopping activity abruptly; walking)
- Cognitive symptoms (speech arrest, déjà vu, jamais vu)
- Emotional symptoms (fear)
- Autonomic symptoms or signs (abnormal epigastric sensations, sweating, flushing, pupillary dilation)
Generalized Seizures
- Thought to originate in, or spread to rapidly involve, bilateral cortical networks.
- Classified into:
- Motor features
- Non-motor features
- Awareness is typically lost with generalized seizures.
- May be retained in briefest absence attacks and some myoclonic seizures.
Generalized Nonmotor (Absence) Seizures
- Characterized by impairment of consciousness, sometimes with mild clonic, tonic, myoclonic, or atonic components.
- Onset and termination of attacks are abrupt.
- Impairment of external awareness is brief, and the patient is unaware of it.
- Absence seizures almost always begin in childhood, frequently cease by age 20 or are replaced by other forms of generalized seizure.
Generalized Motor Seizures
- Types of generalized motor seizures include:
- Tonic-clonic
- Clonic
- Tonic
- Myoclonic
- Myoclonic-tonic-clonic
- Myoclonic-atonic
- Atonic
- During tonic-clonic seizures, there is sudden loss of consciousness, the patient becomes rigid and falls to the ground, and respiration is arrested (Tonic phase).
Epilepsy
- Denotes recurrent unprovoked seizures.
- Patients with recurrent seizures provoked by a readily reversible cause (e.g. withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or uremia) are not considered to have epilepsy.
Classification of Seizures
- The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) distinguishes seizures as focal or generalized.
Seizure Disorders
- Seizure disorders include focal, generalized, and special types of seizures.
Focal Seizures
- Affect only part of the brain.
- Classified by motor or non-motor onset and by whether consciousness is impaired.
- Focal seizures with motor onset include:
- Clonic
- Tonic
- Atonic
- Myoclonic
- Hyperkinetic
- Automatisms
- Focal seizures with non-motor onset include:
- Sensory symptoms (paresthesias or tingling, gustatory, olfactory, visual or auditory sensations)
- Behavior arrest (stopping activity abruptly; walking)
- Cognitive symptoms (speech arrest, déjà vu, jamais vu)
- Emotional symptoms (fear)
- Autonomic symptoms or signs (abnormal epigastric sensations, sweating, flushing, pupillary dilation)
Generalized Seizures
- Thought to originate in, or spread to rapidly involve, bilateral cortical networks.
- Classified into:
- Motor features
- Non-motor features
- Awareness is typically lost with generalized seizures.
- May be retained in briefest absence attacks and some myoclonic seizures.
Generalized Nonmotor (Absence) Seizures
- Characterized by impairment of consciousness, sometimes with mild clonic, tonic, myoclonic, or atonic components.
- Onset and termination of attacks are abrupt.
- Impairment of external awareness is brief, and the patient is unaware of it.
- Absence seizures almost always begin in childhood, frequently cease by age 20 or are replaced by other forms of generalized seizure.
Generalized Motor Seizures
- Types of generalized motor seizures include:
- Tonic-clonic
- Clonic
- Tonic
- Myoclonic
- Myoclonic-tonic-clonic
- Myoclonic-atonic
- Atonic
- During tonic-clonic seizures, there is sudden loss of consciousness, the patient becomes rigid and falls to the ground, and respiration is arrested (Tonic phase).
Epilepsy
- Denotes recurrent unprovoked seizures.
- Patients with recurrent seizures provoked by a readily reversible cause (e.g. withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or uremia) are not considered to have epilepsy.
Classification of Seizures
- The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) distinguishes seizures as focal or generalized.
This quiz covers the classification and types of seizure disorders, including focal and generalized seizures, and epilepsy. Learn about the different characteristics and symptoms of each type.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
