Seizures and Epilepsy Flashcards
Define epilepsy
tendency to recurrent unprovoked seizures
Define seizure
abnormal cortical discharges (creates experience – disturbance in consciousness, behaviour, emotion, motor or sensory function)
What is a partial seizure?
seizures starts on one side of the brain
• Unilateral networks at onset
• Often involves an automation (involuntary movement) or tic e.g. jerk, flick, reflex, lip smacking that can give clue to the origin of the seizure
What are the types of partial seizures?
- Simple: partial seizure with no alteration of consciousness
- Complex: partial seizure with alteration of consciousness
What is a generalised seizure?
starts on both sides of the brain simulataneously
What is an absent generalised seizure?
• Absence seizures:
o Generalised seizures that involve brief LoC
o Often characterized by staring into space, motor arrest, eye lid flickering
o Lasts seconds, very brief episode
o Hyperventilation is often a trigger
o Commonest in childhood, uncommon after mid 20s
What is a generalised tonic clonic seizure?
o Generalised seizure with sudden muscles rigidity and convulsions
o Episode is described as: sudden tonic stiffening, cry, stiffen with limbs extended, no ventilation (go blue), then after 15-20 s there will be low amplitude high f movements, then those movements will be higher in amplitude but lower in f, then turn into a few jerks
What is a myoclonic generalised seizure?
o Generalised seizures with brief muscle jerks
o Increased tone; jerk e.g. when falling asleep)
What is an atonic generalised seizure?
o Generalised seizure with complete relaxation; no tone
o “drop seizure”
What is a tonic generalised seizure?
o Generalised seizure with stiffening of limbs and toppling over
What is a secondary generalised seizure?
Partial seizure becomes a generalised seizure
What are the types of non-epileptic seizures?
Febrile seizure (common in childhood) Seizures associated with alcohol or metabolic disturbances
List the mnemonic for the cause of seizures
VITAMINS
• Vascular (stroke, bleed, AV malformation)
• Infection (meningitis, abscess, encephalitis)
• Trauma
• Autoimmune (CNS Vasculitis), Alzheimer’s, alcohol and alcohol withdrawal
• Metabolic (hypo- Na, Ca, Mg, glucose, O2), drug overdose or withdrawal (esp alcohol)
• Idiopathic
• Neoplasm (space occupying lesion)
• Sleep deprivation; psychiatric (psychogenic)
2/3 of seizures are____
idiopathic
Describe Sx of a focal temporal lobe seizure.
*most common type of focal seizure
• Olfactory and gustatory hallucinations (noxious and nasty)
• Auditory hallucinations especially machinery humming
• De ja vu
• Autonomic phenomena: (butterflies from stomach that rise up to chest)
• Changes of speech “I couldn’t get any words out” – if in dominant
