CNS Class 13 - Epilepsy

Question 1

________ is one of the most common CNS disorders and about 1 in 100 North Americans have it.

Answer 1

Epilepsy

Question 2

T/F - Carelessly applied manual techniques and hydrotherapy applications can destabilize control mechanisms in the patient’s brain and precipitate seizures.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Massage therapy can be very __________ for the epileptic patient, by providing relaxation, reduction of pain/physical ______ and rehabilitation of injuries.

Answer 3

Beneficial
Stress

Question 4

In epilepsy, there is an underlying ___________ inside the brain which can be activated by various _______ to produce seizure activity.

Answer 4

Dysfunction
Stimuli

Question 5

T/F - The elements of massage therapy have no potential to act as seizure triggers for patients.

Answer 5

False - SOME OF the elements of massage therapy have THE potential to act as seizure triggers for CERTAIN patients.

Question 6

In order to provide therapy which is both safe and _________, the massage therapist must understand how to:
- Obtain necessary case history information
- Determine when not to treat
- Adapt treatment/treatment environment
- Adjust treatment plan based on prescribed medications
- Respond when seizures occur

Answer 6

Effective

Question 7

A neurological condition of various etiologies, which affects the CNS and results in recurrent spontaneous seizures.

Answer 7

Epilepsy

Question 8

T/F - Virtually every brain can be induced to seizure with sufficient electrical, chemical or mechanical stimulation.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

__ to ___% of the population will have a seizure at some point in their lifetime.

Answer 9

7-10%

Question 10

Please select whether the individual WOULD or WOULD NOT be considered epileptic based on the following of situations where seizures can occur:
- High fever
- Drug/hormone reactions
- Intense sleep deprivation
- Nutritional deprivation
- Electroshock therapy

Answer 10

WOULD NOT

Question 11

T/F - Epilepsy is diagnosed if the patient has 3 provoked seizures or 1 unprovoked seizure with a high risk of more, such as within damaged, diseased or vulnerable brain tissue without apparent cause.

Answer 11

False - Epilepsy is diagnosed if the patient has 2 UNPROVOKED seizures or 1 unprovoked seizure with a high risk of more.

Question 12

A seizure in response to stimuli that would not produce seizing in the non-epileptic brain.

Answer 12

Unprovoked Seizure

Question 13

A sudden onset, self-limiting episode of physical and/or psychological dysfunction as a result of an abnormal burst of firing in the CNS.

Answer 13

Seizure

Question 14

The seizure one observes is the manifestation of an eruption of neuronal _________ in the brain.

Answer 14

Discharge

Question 15

T/F - The symptoms of a seizure are gradual and permanent phenomena that can be motor, sensory, autonomic and/or psychological.

Answer 15

False - The symptoms of a seizure are SUDDEN and TRANSITORY phenomena that can be motor, sensory, autonomic and/or psychological.

Question 16

The symptoms of a seizure indicate which part(s) of the _____ have been activated, and occur in a ___________ pattern.

Answer 16

Brain
Stereotyped

Question 17

The abnormal impulse contributing to a seizure may arise from anywhere within the ________ cortex or the deeper brain centres. It may remain _________ to its site of origin or travel extensively through the brain.

Answer 17

Cerebral
Localized

Question 18

Seizures are ____-________ because of intrinsic inhibitory mechanisms within the CNS, and also because _________ wastes accumulate which alter the conditions for neuronal firing.

Answer 18

Self-Limiting
Metabolic

Question 19

Another term for seizure activity in the brain that is frequently used in medical literature about epilepsy.

Answer 19

Ictus

Question 20

What is the adjective for ictus?

Answer 20

Ictal

Question 21

A specific location in the brain tissue which is a site of origin of spontaneous depolarization or which acts as an irritant to nearby neurons, causing them to fire abnormally. The resulting burst of firing initiates an aberrant depolarization wave that spreads outward from the focal origin.

Answer 21

Irritable/Epileptogenic Focus

Question 22

T/F - A gliosis, aneurysm or tumour can be contained within an irritable focus.

Answer 22

True

Question 23

T/F - The presence of one or more irritable foci is a rare finding in the brains of patients with epilepsy.

Answer 23

False - The presence of one or more irritable foci is a COMMON finding in the brains of patients with epilepsy.

Question 24

A sensory hallucination that can be present in people with epilepsy. People often find it hard to describe and everyone has a different experience.

Answer 24

Aura

Question 25

What is an aura classified as in people with epilepsy?

Answer 25

Focal Onset Aware Seizure

Question 26

Focal aware seizures (FAS) are sometimes called "________" or "auras" because for some people, a FAS develops into another type of seizure.

Answer 26

"Warnings"

Question 27

T/F - Individuals who experience auroras usually have one or two that are characteristic for them.

Answer 27

True

Question 28

Common ____ seizure symptoms affect/include the following: - Visual - Smell (e.g. unpleasant rotten egg smell) - Taste (e.g odd metal, bitter or salty taste) - Sounds (e.g. odd ringing/buzzing noise, some people hear songs) - Feelings - Deja vu - Body

Answer 28

Aura

Question 29

Common ______ aura seizure symptoms include: - Flashing lights - Blurred vision - Some loss of sight - Seeing things which are not actually there

Answer 29

Visual

Question 30

Common aura seizure symptoms related to ________ include: - Lightheadedness - Nausea/sickness - Rising feeling in stomach - Strong emotions (e.g. sadness, joy, panic or fear/doom)

Answer 30

Feelings

Question 31

Common aura seizure symptoms related to the ____ include: - Stiffness/twitching - Numbness/tinging - Sensation that an arm/leg feels bigger/smaller than it actually is

Answer 31

Body

Question 32

Epileptic seizures are occasional __________ expressions of an ongoing brain disorder.

Answer 32

Paraoxysmal

Question 33

A stimulus, usually sensory, which produces activity in the abnormal brain area, and is therefore capable of pushing the neuronal tissue beyond its ictal thershold.

Answer 33

Trigger

Question 34

T/F - Few seizures are precipitated by exposure to a trigger.

Answer 34

False - MOST seizures are precipitated by exposure to a trigger.

Question 35

T/F - Some epileptic individuals have one or more clearly identified triggers, while others are more confusing in their responses.

Answer 35

True

Question 36

Some common seizure ________ include: - Specific time of day/night - Sleep deprivation - Illness both with/without fever - Flashing bright lights/patterns - Alcohol use/withdrawal - Drug use/withdrawal - Stress - Menstrual cycle/hormonal changes - Malnutrition, dehydration, low blood sugar, poor eating habits - Specific foods/excess caffeine - Use of certain medications - Missed medications

Answer 36

Triggers

Question 37

Sometimes the seizures are a response to stimuli which initiate complex sensory ____________ functions (e.g. reading, listening to music).

Answer 37

Interpretive

Question 38

T/F - Epilepsies do not occur in response to firing from muscle and joint receptors.

Answer 38

False - SOME epilepsies OCCUR in response to firing from muscle and joint receptors.