Epilepsy: Epileptic Seizure Types and Information
Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2023/01/31
Category Topic: Epilepsy Information (Publications Database)
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Subtopics
Synopsis: Information on epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder of the brain that causes a tendency to have recurrent seizures.
• Epilepsy is one of the most common severe neurological disorders. Genetic, congenital, and developmental conditions are primarily associated with it among younger patients; tumors are more likely over age 40; head trauma and central nervous system infections may occur at any age.
• Seizure types are organized according to whether the source of the seizure within the brain is localized (partial or focal onset seizures) or distributed (generalized seizures).
Introduction
Approximately 2 million people in the United States have epilepsy, a chronic disorder of the brain that causes a tendency to have recurrent seizures. Two or more episodes must occur before a person can receive the diagnosis of epilepsy, also known as a seizure disorder. The onset of epilepsy is most common during childhood and after age 65, but the condition can occur at any age.
The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has included Myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers (MERRF) as a Compassionate Allowance to expedite a disability claim.
Main Document
Epilepsy is one of the most common of the serious neurological disorders. Genetic, congenital, and developmental conditions are mostly associated with it among younger patients; tumors are more likely over age 40; head trauma and central nervous system infections may occur at any age.
It's not uncommon for children to have a single seizure, and an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of the population will experience a seizure at some time in their life. Seizures occur when there's a sudden change in how your brain cells communicate through electrical signals.
Seizure types are organized firstly according to whether the source of the seizure within the brain is localized (partial or focal onset seizures) or distributed (generalized seizures). Partial seizures are further divided on the extent to which consciousness is affected.
Epilepsy Seizure Types
- Infantile spasms (West syndrome) - Associated with brain development abnormalities, tuberous sclerosis, and perinatal insults to the brain. It impacts infants, which by definition are between 30 days to 1 year of life.
- Childhood absence epilepsy - Affects children between the ages of 4 and 12 years of age. These patients have recurrent absence seizures that can occur hundreds of times daily.
- Dravet's syndrome - Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI). This sporadic syndrome is delimitated from benign myoclonic epilepsy by its severity and must be differentiated from the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Doose's myoclonic-astatic epilepsy.
- Benign focal epilepsies of childhood - The most common syndromes comprising the benign focal epilepsies of childhood include Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (or benign rolandic epilepsy) and Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Occipital Paroxysms.
- Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) - Begins in patients aged 8 to 20 years. These patients have normal IQs and are otherwise neurologically intact. JME is thought to be genetic, though that is not to imply that JME will show in immediate family members.
- Temporal lobe epilepsy - The most common epilepsy of adults. In most cases, the epileptogenic region is found in the mesial temporal structures (e.g., the hippocampus, amygdala, and parahippocampal gyrus). Seizures begin in late childhood and adolescence.
- Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) - Caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and results in central nervous system (CNS) damage.
- Frontal lobe epilepsy
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
- Occipital lobe epilepsy
During a seizure, some brain cells send abnormal signals, which stop other cells from working properly. This abnormality may cause temporary changes in sensation, behavior, movement, or consciousness.
How to Help a Person Having an Epileptic fit or Seizure
The response to a generalized tonic-clonic epileptic seizure is to prevent the patient from self-injury by moving them away from sharp edges, placing something soft beneath the head, and carefully rolling the person into the recovery position to avoid asphyxiation.
In some cases, the person may start snoring loudly following a seizure before coming to. This merely indicates that the person is beginning to breathe properly and does not mean they are suffocating.
Should the person regurgitate, the material should be allowed to drip out the side of the person's mouth by itself.
If a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, or if the seizures begin coming in 'waves' one after the other - then Emergency Services should be contacted immediately.
Examples of provocants include reading, hot water on the head, hyperventilation, and flashing or flickering lights.
Treatments may be able to leave you free of seizures, or at least reduce their frequency and intensity.