Seizure

Seizures (or convulsions) are temporary alterations in brain function expressing themselves into a changed mental state, tonic or clonic movements and various other symptoms. They are due to temporary abnormal electrical activity of a group of brain cells.

Signs and symptoms

Seizures can cause involuntary changes in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behavior. A seizure can last from a few seconds to status epilepticus, a continuous seizure that will not stop without intervention. Seizure is often associated with a sudden and involuntary contraction of a group of muscles. However, a seizure can also be as subtle as marching numbness of a part of body, a brief loss of memory, sparkling of flashes, sniffing an unpleasant odor, a strange epigastric sensation or a sensation of fear. Therefore seizures are typically classified as motor, sensory, autonomic, emotional or cognitive.

Related Topics:
Status epilepticus - Memory - Motor - Sensory - Autonomic - Emotional - Cognitive

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are more than 20 different types of seizures. Seizures are often associated with epilepsy and related seizure disorders, although head trauma, intoxication, infection, metabolic disturbances, withdrawal symptoms (from sedatives such as alcohol, barbiturates and benzodiazepines) and space-occupying processes in the brain (abscesses, tumors) may also cause them. Seizures in (or shortly after) pregnancy can be a sign of eclampsia.

Related Topics:
Epilepsy - Seizure disorder - Head trauma - Intoxication - Infection - Metabolic - Withdrawal - Sedative - Alcohol - Barbiturates - Benzodiazepines - Abscess - Tumor - Eclampsia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some medications produce an increased risk of seizures and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) deliberately sets out to induce a seizure. Many seizures have unknown causes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Symptoms experienced by a person during a seizure depend on where in the brain the disturbance in electrical activity occurs. Some seizures may be frightening to onlookers. A person having a tonic-clonic seizure (also known as a grand mal seizure) may cry out, lose consciousness and fall to the ground, and convulse, often violently. A person having a complex partial seizure may appear confused or dazed and will not be able to respond to questions or direction. Some people have seizures that are not noticeable to others. Sometimes, the only clue that a person is having an absence (petit mal) seizure is rapid blinking or a few seconds of staring into space.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~