- The act or an instance of seizing or the condition of being seized.
- A sudden attack, spasm, or convulsion, as in epilepsy or another disorder.
- A sudden onset or sensation of feeling or emotion.
seizure
Dictionary:
sei·zure (sē'zhər)  |
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Neurological Disorder:
Seizures |
Definition
A seizure is a sudden change in behavior characterized by changes in sensory perception (sense of feeling) or motor activity (movement) due to an abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizures that may include repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions.
Description
Seizure disorders and their classification date back to the earliest medical literature accounts in history. In 1964, the Commission on Classification and Terminology of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) devised the first official classification of seizures, which was revised again in 1981. This classification is accepted worldwide and is based on electroencephalographic (EEG) studies. Based on this system, seizures can be classified as either focal or generalized. Each of these categories can also be further subdivided.
Focal seizures
A focal (partial) seizure develops when a limited, confined population of nerve cells fire their impulses abnormally on one hemisphere of the brain. (The brain has two portions or cerebral hemispheres—the right and left hemispheres.) Focal seizures are divided into simple or complex based on the level of consciousness (wakefulness) during an attack. Simple partial seizures occur in patients who are conscious, whereas complex partial seizures demonstrate impaired levels of consciousness.
Generalized seizures
A generalized seizure results from initial abnormal firing of brain nerve cells throughout both left and right hemispheres. Generalized seizures can be classified as follows:
- Tonic-clonic seizures: This is the most common type among all age groups and is categorized into several phases beginning with vague symptoms hours or days before an attack. These seizures are sometimes called grand mal seizures.
- Tonic seizures: These are typically characterized by a sustained nonvibratory contraction of muscles in the legs and arms. Consciousness is also impaired during these episodes.
- Atonic seizures (also called "drop attacks"): These are characterized by sudden, limp posture and a brief period of unconsciousness and last for one to two seconds.
- Clonic seizures: These are characterized by a rapid loss of consciousness with loss of muscle tone, tonic spasm, and jerks. The muscles become rigid for about 30 seconds during the tonic phase of the seizure and alternately contract and relax during the clonic phase, which lasts 30–60 seconds.
- Absence seizures: These are subdivided into typical and atypical forms based on duration of attack and level of consciousness. Absence (petit mal) seizures generally begin at about the age of four and stop by the time the child becomes an adolescent. They usually begin with a brief loss of consciousness and last between one and 10 seconds. People having a petit mal seizure become very quiet and may blink, stare blankly, roll their eyes, or move their lips. A petit mal seizure lasts 15–20 seconds. When it ends, the individual resumes whatever he or she was doing before the seizure began, will not remember the seizure, and may not realize that anything unusual happened. Untreated, petit mal seizures can recur as many as 100 times a day and may progress to grand mal seizures.
- Myoclonic seizures: These are characterized by rapid muscular contractions accompanied with jerks in facial and pelvic muscles.
Subcategories are commonly diagnosed based on EEG results. Terminology for classification in infants and newborns is still controversial.
Causes and symptoms
Simple partial seizures can be caused by congenital abnormalities (abnormalities present at birth), tumor growths, head trauma, stroke, and infections in the brain or nearby structures. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures are associated with drug and alcohol abuse, and low levels of blood glucose (blood sugar) and sodium. Certain psychiatric medications, antihistamines, and even antibiotics can precipitate tonic-clonic seizures. Absence seizures are implicated with an abnormal imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain that modulate nerve cell activity (one of these neurotransmitters is called GABA, which functions as an inhibitor). Myoclonic seizures are commonly diagnosed in newborns and children.
Symptoms for the different types of seizures are specific.
Partial seizures
SIMPLE PARTIAL SEIZURES Multiple signs and symptoms may be present during a single simple partial seizure. These symptoms include specific muscles tensing and then alternately contracting and relaxing, speech arrest, vocalizations, and involuntary turning of the eyes or head. There could be changes in vision, hearing, balance, taste, and smell. Additionally, patients with simple partial seizures may have a sensation in the abdomen, sweating, paleness, flushing, hair follicles standing up (piloerection), and dilated pupils (the dark center in the eye enlarges). Seizures with psychological symptoms include thinking disturbances and hallucinations, or illusions of memory, sound, sight, time, and self-image.
COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES Complex partial seizures often begin with a motionless stare or arrest of activity; this is followed by a series of involuntary movements, speech disturbances, and eye movements.
Generalized seizures
Generalized seizures have a more complex set of signs and symptoms.
TONIC-CLONIC SEIZURES Tonic-clonic seizures usually have vague prodromal (pre-attack) symptoms that can start hours or days before a seizure. These symptoms include anxiety, mood changes, irritability, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, and changes in appetite. The tonic phases may be preceded with brief (lasting only a few seconds in duration) muscle contractions on both sides of affected muscle groups. The tonic phase typically begins with a brief flexing of trunk muscles, upward movement of the eyes, and pupil dilation. Patients usually emit a characteristic vocalization. This sound is caused by contraction of trunk muscles that forces air from the lungs across spasmodic (abnormally tensed) throat muscles. This is followed by a very short period (10–15 seconds) of general muscle relaxation. The clonic phase consists of muscular contractions with alternating periods of no movements (muscle atonia) of gradually increasing duration until abnormal muscular contractions stop. Tonic-clonic seizures end in a final generalized spasm. The affected person can lose consciousness during tonic and clonic phases of seizure.
Tonic-clonic seizures can also produce chemical changes in the body. Patients commonly experience lowered carbon dioxide (hypocarbia) due to breathing alterations, increased blood glucose (blood sugar), and elevated level of a hormone called prolactin. Once the affected person regains consciousness, he or she is usually weak, and has a headache and muscle pain. Tonic-clonic seizures can cause serious medical problems such as trauma to the head and mouth, fractures in the spinal column, pulmonary edema (water in the lungs), aspiration pneumonia (a pneumonia caused by a foreign body being lodged in the lungs), and sudden death. Attacks are generally one minute in duration.
TONIC SEIZURES Tonic and atonic seizures have distinct differences but are often present in the same patient. Tonic seizures are characterized by nonvibratory muscle contractions, usually involving flexing of arms and relaxing or flexing of legs. The seizure usually lasts less than 10 seconds but may be as long as one minute. Tonic seizures are usually abrupt and patients lose consciousness. Tonic seizures commonly occur during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep and drowsiness. Tonic seizures that occur during wakeful states commonly produce physical injuries due to abrupt, unexpected falls.
ATONIC SEIZURES Atonic seizures, also called "drop attacks," are abrupt, with loss of muscle tone lasting one to two seconds, but with rapid recovery. Consciousness is usually impaired. The rapid loss of muscular tone could be limited to head and neck muscles, resulting in head drop, or it may be more extensive, involving muscles for balance and causing unexpected falls with physical injury.
CLONIC SEIZURES Generalized clonic seizures are rare and seen typically in children with elevated fever. These seizures are characterized by a rapid loss of consciousness, decreased muscle tone, and generalized spasm that is followed by jerky movements.
ABSENCE SEIZURES Absence seizures are classified as either typical or atypical. The typical absence seizure is characterized by unresponsiveness and behavioral arrest, abnormal muscular movements of the face and eyelids, and lasts less than 10 seconds. In atypical absence seizures, the affected person is generally more conscious, the seizures begin and end more gradually, and do not exceed 10 seconds in duration.
MYOCLONIC SEIZURES Myoclonic seizures commonly exhibit rapid muscular contractions. Myoclonic seizures are seen in newborns and children who have either symptomatic or idiopathic (cause is unknown) epilepsy.
Demographics
Approximately 1.5 million persons in the United States suffer from a type of seizure disorder. The annual incidence (number of new cases) for all types of seizures is 1.2 per 1,000 and, for recurrent seizures, is 0.54 per 1,000. Isolated seizures may occur in up to 10% of the general population. Approximately 10–20% of all patients have intractable epilepsy (epilepsy that is difficult to manage or treat). It is estimated that 45 million people in the world are affected by seizures. Seizures affect males and females equally and can occur among all age groups. There seems to be a strong genetic correlation, since seizures are three times more prevalent among close relatives than they are in the general population.
Children delivered in the breech position have increased prevalence (3.8%) of seizures when compared to infants delivered in the normal delivery position (2.2%). Seizures caused by fever have a recurrence rate of 51% if the attack occurred in the first year of life, whereas recurrence rate is decreased to 25% if the seizure took place during the second year. Approximately 88% of children who experience seizures caused by fever in the first two years experience recurrence.
Approximately 45 million people worldwide are affected by epilepsy. The incidence is highest among young children and the elderly. High-risk groups include persons with a previous history of brain injury or lesions.
Diagnosis
Patients seeking help for seizures should first undergo an EEG that records brain-wave patterns emitted between nerve cells. Electrodes are placed on the head, sometimes for 24 hours, to monitor brain-wave activity and detect both normal and abnormal impulses. Imaging studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed axial tomography (CT)—that take still "pictures"—are useful in detecting abnormalities in the temporal lobes (parts of the brain associated with hearing) or for helping diagnose tonic-clonic seizures. A complete blood count (CBC) can be helpful in determining whether a seizure is caused by a neurological infection, which is typically accompanied by high fever. If drugs or toxins in the blood are suspected to be the cause of the seizure(s), blood and urine screening tests for these compounds may be necessary.
Antiseizure medication can be altered by many commonly used medications such as sulfa drugs, erythromycin, warfarin, and cimetidine. Pregnancy may also decrease serum concentration of antiseizure medications; therefore, frequent monitoring and dose adjustments are vital to maintain appropriate blood concentrations of the antiseizure medication—known as the therapeutic blood concentration. Diagnosis requires a detailed and accurate history, and a physical examination is important since this may help identify neurological or systemic causes. In cases in which a central nervous system (CNS) infection (i.e., meningitis or encephalitis) is suspected, a lumbar puncture (or spinal tap) can help detect an increase in immune cells (white blood cells) that develop to fight the specific infection.
Treatments
Treatment is targeted primarily to:
- assist the patient in adjusting psychologically to the diagnosis and in maintaining as normal a lifestyle as possible
- reduce or eliminate seizure occurrence
- avoid side effects of long-term drug treatment
Simple and complex partial seizures respond to drugs such as carbamazepine, valproic acid (valproate), phenytoin, gabapentin, tiagabine, lamotrigine, and topiramate. Tonic-clonic seizures tend to respond to valproate, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and lamotrigine. Absence seizures seem to be sensitive to ethosuximide, valproate, and lamotrigine. Myoclonic seizures can be treated with valproate and clonazepam. Tonic seizures seem to respond favorably to valproate, felbamate, and clonazepam.
People treated with a class of medications called barbiturates (Mysoline, Mebral, phenobarbital) have adverse cognitive (thinking) effects. These cognitive effects can include decreased general intelligence, attention, memory, problem solving, motor speed, and visual motor functions. The drug phenytoin (Dilantin) can adversely affect speed of response, memory, and attention. Other medications used for treatment of seizures do not have substantial cognitive impairment.
Surgical treatment may be considered when medications fail. Advances in medical sciences and techniques have improved methods of identifying the parts of the brain that generate abnormal discharge of nerve impulses. Surgical treatment now accounts for about 5,000 procedures annually. The most common type of surgery is the focal cortical resection. In this procedure, a small part of the brain responsible for causing the seizures is removed. Surgical intervention may be considered a feasible treatment option if:
- the site of seizures is identifiable and localized
- surgery can remove the seizure-generating (epileptogenic) area
- surgical procedure will not cause damage to nearby areas
Prognosis
About 30% of patients with severe seizures (starting in early childhood), continue to have attacks and usually never achieve a remission state. In the United States, the prevalence of treatment-resistant seizures is about one to two per 1,000 persons. About 60–70% of persons achieve a five-year remission within 10 years of initial diagnosis. Approximately half of these patients become seizure-free. Usually the prognosis is better if seizures can be controlled by one medication, the frequency of seizures decreases, and there is a normal EEG and neurological examination prior to medication cessation.
People affected by seizure have increased death rates compared with the general population. Patients who have seizures of unknown cause have an increased chance of dying due to accidents (primarily drowning). Other causes of seizure-associated death include abnormal heart rhythms, water in the lungs, or heart attack.
Prevention
There are no gold standard recommendations for prevention, since seizures can be caused by genetic factors, blood abnormalities, many medications, illicit drugs, infection, neurologic conditions, and other systemic diseases. If a person has had a previous attack or has a genetic propensity, care is advised when receiving medical treatment or if diagnosed with an illness correlated with possible seizure development.
Resources
BOOKS
Goetz, Christopher G. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 1st edition. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 1999.
Goldman, Lee, and others. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 21st edition. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company, 2000.
Goroll, Allan H. Primary Care Medicine. 4th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2000.
PERIODICALS
Dodrill, C. R., C. G. Matthew. "The role of Neuropsychology in the Assessment and Treatment of Persons with Epilepsy." American Psychologist (September 1992).
ORGANIZATIONS
Epilepsy Foundation. 4351 Garden City Drive, Landover, MD 20785-7223. (800) 332-1000. http://www.efa.org.
Laith Farid Gulli, MD
Alfredo Mori, MD, FACEM
| Thesaurus: seizure |
noun
- The act of catching, especially a sudden taking and holding: catch, clutch1, grab, snatch. See get/lose.
- The act of taking something for oneself: appropriation, arrogation, assumption, preemption, usurpation. See give/take/reciprocity.
- A seizing and holding by law: apprehension, arrest. Slang bust, collar, pickup, pinch. See law.
- The act of taking quick and forcible possession of: confiscation, expropriation. See give/take/reciprocity.
- A sudden and often acute manifestation of a disease: access, attack, fit2. Informal spell3. See health/sickness.
| Veterinary Dictionary: seizure |
1. the sudden attack or recurrence of a disease.
2. a convulsion or attack of epilepsy.
- audiogenic s. — a seizure brought on by sound.
- cerebral s. — an attack of epilepsy.
- epileptiform s. — see epileptiform.
- focal s. — see partial seizure (below).
- generalized s. — see grand mal seizure (below).
- grand mal s. — one with no localizing signs. After a brief period of restlessness, there is unconsciousness, generalized muscular activity, excessive salivation, chewing activity, opisthotonos, running movements, and often urination and defecation. The most common type of seizure in dogs and cats.
- Jacksonian s. — see Jacksonian epilepsy.
- partial s. — one restricted to a focus in the brain; signs correspond to the area affected, e.g. motor activity of an isolated area or limb, hallucinations such as fly catching, apparent blindness, behavioral abnormalities, etc. Called also focal seizures.
- petit mal s. — a mild, very brief generalized seizure. See also petit mal.
- photogenic s. — a seizure brought on by light.
- psychomotor s. — motor seizures accompanied by a psychic stage. There are hallucinations, salivation, pupillary dilatation, mastication, fecal and urinary excretion, and wild running. Seen in dogs with lesions in the pyriform lobe or hippocampus and from poisoning with agenized flour (canine hysteria). Called also running fits.
- tetanic s. — see tetany.
- s. threshold — the level of stimulation at which a seizure is precipitated.
- tonic s. — one in which the muscles are rigid.
- tonic–clonic s. — alternating tonic (rigid muscles) and clonic (jerking of muscles) phases; a grand mal seizure.
| Wikipedia: Seizure |
 |
This article contains too much jargon and may need simplification or further explanation. Please discuss this issue on the talk page, and/or remove or explain jargon terms used in the article. Editing help is available. (October 2008) |
This article is about epileptic seizures. For non-epileptic seizures, see Non-epileptic seizure. For other uses, see Seizure (disambiguation).
| Seizure | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | G40., I64., P90., R56. |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 345.9 |
| DiseasesDB | 19011 |
| eMedicine | neuro/694 neuro/415 |
| MeSH | D012640 |
An epileptic seizure is a transient symptom of excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.[1] It can manifest as an alteration in mental state, tonic or clonic movements, convulsions, and various other psychic symptoms (such as déjà vu or jamais vu). The medical syndrome of recurrent, unprovoked seizures is termed epilepsy, but seizures can occur in people who do not have epilepsy.
About 4% of people will have an unprovoked seizure by the age of 80 and only 30% to 40%[2] or according to another study 50% chance of a second one.[3] Treatment may reduce the chance of a second one by as much as half.[3]
The treatment of epilepsy is a subspecialty of neurology; the study of seizures is part of neuroscience. Doctors who specialize in epilepsy are epileptologists; doctors who specialize in the treatment of children with epilepsy are pediatric epileptologists.
Contents |
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. Seizures are often associated with a sudden and involuntary contraction of a group of muscles and loss of consciousness. However, a seizure can also be as subtle as marching numbness of a part of the body, a brief or long term loss of memory, sparkling or flashes, sensing/discharging of an unpleasant odor similar to alcohol base being produced by internal organs, a strange epigastric sensation or a sensation of fear and total state of confusion which in some cases leads to death during seizure. Therefore seizures are typically classified as motor, sensory, autonomic, emotional or cognitive. After a heavy seizure attack, since the brain is recovering, there is a sudden loss of memory; usually the short term memory.[citation needed]
In some cases, the full onset of a seizure event is preceded by some of the sensations described above. These sensations can serve as a warning to the sufferer that a full tonic-clonic seizure is about to occur. These "warning sensations" are cumulatively called an aura.[1] Also, it is commonly believed among healthcare providers[citation needed] that many seizures, especially those in children, are preceded by tachycardia that frequently persists throughout the seizure. This early increase in heart rate may supplement an aura as a physiological warning sign of an imminent seizure.
Some patients are able to tell when a seizure is about to happen. Some symptoms experienced by the person before a seizure may include dizziness, lightheadedness, tightning of the chest,and some experience things in slow-motion just prior to the seizure. Symptoms experienced by a person during a seizure depend on where in the brain the disturbance in electrical activity occurs. Recent studies show that seizures happen in sleep more often than was thought.[citation needed] A person having a tonic-clonic 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 seizure is rapid blinking, extreme confusion for a few seconds or sometimes into hours.[citation needed]
Types
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). Partial seizures are further divided on the extent to which consciousness is affected (simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures). If consciousness is unaffected, then it is a simple partial seizure; otherwise it is a complex partial seizure. A partial seizure may spread within the brain—a process known as secondary generalization. Generalized seizures are divided according to the effect on the body, but all involve loss of consciousness. These include absence, myoclonic, clonic, tonic, tonic-clonic, and atonic seizures.
Following standardization proposals published in 1970, out-dated terms such as "petit mal", "grand mal", "Jacksonian", "psychomotor", and "temporal-lobe seizure" have fallen into disuse.
Diagnosis
It can be difficult to distinguish a seizure from other conditions causing a collapse, abnormal movements or other seizure manifestations. A 2007 evidence-based review from the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society recommends an electroencephalogram (EEG, brain wave activity) and brain imaging with CT scan or MRI scan in the work-up. MRI is more sensitive in a first apparently unprovoked seizure. Blood tests, lumbar puncture or toxicology screening can be helpful in specific circumstances suggestive of an underlying cause like meningitis or drug overdose, but there is insufficient evidence to support their routine use in the work-up of an adult with an apparently unprovoked first seizure.[4]
Determining whether a seizure occurred
Differentiating a seizure from other conditions such as syncope can be difficult. In addition, 5% of patients with a positive tilt table test may have seizure-like activity that seems to be due to cerebral hypoxia.[5] A major seizure can sometimes be confused with a heart attack and can take days to discover.
Physical examination
A small study found that finding a bite to the side of the tongue was very helpful when present: while only a quarter of those with seizures had such a bite (sensitivity of 24%), the finding was very specific for seizures, with only 1% due to other causes (specificity of 99%).[6]
Serum prolactin level
Two meta-analyses have quantified the role of an elevated serum prolactin. The first meta-analysis found that[7]: "If a serum prolactin concentration is greater than three times the baseline when taken within one hour of syncope, then in the absence of test "modifiers":
- the patient is nine times more likely to have suffered a GTCS as compared with a pseudoseizure positive LR = 8.92 (95% CI (1.31 to 60.91)), SN = 0.62 (95% CI (0.40 to 0.83)), SP = 0.89 (95% CI (0.60 to 0.98))
- five times more likely to have suffered a GTCS as compared with non-convulsive syncope positive LR 4.60 (95% CI (1.25 to 16.90)), SN = 0.71 (95% CI (0.49 to 0.87)), SP = 0.85 (95% CI (0.55 to 0.98)). "
The second meta-analysis found:[8]
- "Elevated serum prolactin assay, when measured in the appropriate clinical setting at 10 to 20 minutes after a suspected event, is a useful adjunct for the differentiation of generalized tonic-clonic or complex partial seizure from psychogenic nonepileptic seizure among adults and older children (Level B)."
- "Serum prolactin assay does not distinguish epileptic seizures from syncope (Level B).
- "The use of serum PRL assay has not been established in the evaluation of status" epilepticus, repetitive seizures, and neonatal seizures (Level U)."
The serum prolactin level is less sensitive for detecting partial seizures.[9]
EEG
An isolated abnormal electrical activity recorded by an electroencephalography examination without a clinical presentation is called subclinical seizure. They may identify background epileptogenic activity, as well as help identify particular causes of seizures.
Investigation of underlying cause
Additional diagnostic methods include CT Scanning and MRI imaging or angiography. These may show structural lesions within the brain and heart, but the majority of those with epilepsy show nothing unusual.
As seizures have a differential diagnosis, it is common for patients to be simultaneously investigated for cardiac and endocrine causes. Checking glucose levels, for example, is a mandatory action in the management of seizures as hypoglycemia may cause seizures, and failure to administer glucose would be harmful to the patient. Other causes typically considered are syncope and cardiac arrhythmias, and occasionally panic attacks and cataplexy. For more information, see non-epileptic seizures.
Management
The first aid for a seizure depends on the type of seizure occurring. Generalized seizures will cause the person to fall, which may result in injury. A tonic-clonic seizure results in violent movements that cannot and should not be suppressed. The person should never be restrained, nor should there be any attempt to put something in the mouth. Potentially sharp or dangerous objects should also be moved from the vicinity, so that the individual is not hurt. After the seizure if the person is not fully conscious and alert, they should be placed in the recovery position. Bystanders should remain calm and avoid crowding the person.
It is not necessary to call an ambulance if the person is known to have epilepsy, if the seizure is shorter than five minutes and is typical for them, if it is not immediately followed by another seizure, and if the person is uninjured. Otherwise, or if in any doubt, medical assistance should be sought.
A seizure longer than five minutes is a medical emergency. Relatives and other caregivers of those known to have epilepsy often carry medicine such as rectal diazepam or buccal midazolam in order to rapidly end the seizure.
Safety
A sudden fall can lead to broken bones and other injuries. Children who are affected by frequent drop seizures may wear helmets to protect the head during a fall.
The unusual behavior resulting from the chaotic brain activity of a seizure can be misinterpreted as an aggressive act. This may invoke a hostile response or police involvement, where there was no intention to cause harm or trouble. During a prolonged seizure, the person is defenseless and may become a victim of theft.
A seizure response dog can be trained to summon help or ensure personal safety when a seizure occurs. These are not suitable for everybody. Rarely, a dog may develop the ability to sense a seizure before it occurs.[10]
Seizures without epilepsy
Unprovoked seizures are often associated with epilepsy and related seizure disorders.
Causes of provoked seizures include:
- Sleep Deprivation
- Cavernoma or cavernous malformation is a treatable medical condition that can cause seizures, headaches, and brain hemorrhages. An MRI can quickly confirm or reject this as a cause.
- Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a treatable medical condition that can cause seizures, headaches, and brain hemorrhages. An MRI can quickly confirm or reject this as a cause.
- head injury may cause non-epileptic post-traumatic seizures or post-traumatic epilepsy, in which the seizures chronically recur.
- intoxication with drugs
- drug toxicity, for example aminophylline or local anaesthetics
- normal doses of certain drugs that lower the seizure threshold, such as tricyclic antidepressants
- infection, such as encephalitis or meningitis
- fever leading to febrile convulsions (but see above)
- metabolic disturbances, such as hypoglycaemia, hyponatremia or hypoxia
- withdrawal from drugs (anticonvulsants, Antidepressants, and sedatives such as alcohol, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines,)
- space-occupying lesions in the brain (abscesses, tumors)
- seizures during (or shortly after) pregnancy can be a sign of eclampsia.
- seizures in a person with hydrocephalus may indicate severe shunt failure.
- binaural beat brainwave entrainment may trigger seizures in both epileptics and non-epileptics
- haemorrhagic stroke can occasionally present with seizures, embolic strokes generally do not (though epilepsy is a common later complication); cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a rare type of stroke, is more likely to be accompanied by seizures than other types of stroke
- multiple sclerosis sufferers may rarely experience seizures
- certain light patterns, such as those found in video games or other media.
Some medications produce an increased risk of seizures and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) deliberately sets out to induce a seizure for the treatment of major depression. Many seizures have unknown causes.
Seizures which are provoked are not associated with epilepsy, and people who experience such seizures are normally not diagnosed with epilepsy. However, the seizures described above resemble those of epilepsy both outwardly, and on EEG testing.
Seizures can occur after a subject witnesses a traumatic event. This type of seizure is known as a psychogenic non-epileptic seizure and is related to posttraumatic stress disorder.
Mild seizures can be induced through a combination of quickly standing, hyperventilation and applying pressure to the sternum.
See also
- Epilepsy
- Epileptogenesis
- Photosensitive epilepsy
- Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
- EPUNA or episode of unusual neurological activity
- Postictal state
References
- ^ Fisher R, van Emde Boas W, Blume W, Elger C, Genton P, Lee P, Engel J (2005). "Epileptic seizures and epilepsy: definitions proposed by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE)". Epilepsia 46 (4): 470–2. doi:. PMID 15816939. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.0013-9580.2005.66104.x.
- ^ Herman ST. (2004). Single Unprovoked Seizures. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 6(3):243-255. PMID 15043807
- ^ a b Berg AT. (2008).Risk of recurrence after a first unprovoked seizure. Epilepsia. 49 Suppl 1:13-8. PMID 18184
- ^ Krumholz A, Wiebe S, Gronseth G, Shinnar S, Levisohn P, Ting T, Hopp J, Shafer P, Morris H, Seiden L, Barkley G, French J; Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology; American Epilepsy Society. Practice Parameter: evaluating an apparent unprovoked first seizure in adults (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society. Neurology 2007; 69(21): 1996-2007. PMID 18025394
- ^ Passman R, Horvath G, Thomas J, et al. (2003). "Clinical spectrum and prevalence of neurologic events provoked by tilt table testing". Arch. Intern. Med. 163 (16): 1945–8. doi:. PMID 12963568.
- ^ Benbadis SR, Wolgamuth BR, Goren H, Brener S, Fouad-Tarazi F (1995). "Value of tongue biting in the diagnosis of seizures". Arch. Intern. Med. 155 (21): 2346–9. doi:. PMID 7487261.
- ^ Ahmad S, Beckett MW (2004). "Value of serum prolactin in the management of syncope". Emergency medicine journal : EMJ 21 (2): e3. doi:. PMID 14988379.
- ^ Chen DK, So YT, Fisher RS (2005). "Use of serum prolactin in diagnosing epileptic seizures: report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology". Neurology 65 (5): 668–75. doi:. PMID 16157897.
- ^ Shukla G, Bhatia M, Vivekanandhan S, et al. (2004). "Serum prolactin levels for differentiation of nonepileptic versus true seizures: limited utility". Epilepsy & behavior : E&B 5 (4): 517–21. doi:. PMID 15256189.
- ^ Dalziel D, Uthman B, Mcgorray S, Reep R (2003). "Seizure-alert dogs: a review and preliminary study". Seizure 12 (2): 115–20. doi:. PMID 12566236.
External links
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Look up seizure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Seizure First Aid
- MEDLINEplus: Seizures
- Epilepsy and seizure information, news and support for people with epilepsy and their friends, families, doctors and caregivers: Epilepsy Foundation
- Epilepsy and seizure information for patients and health professionals : Epilepsy.com
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| Translations: Seizure |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - pågribelse, konfiskation, beslaglæggelse, anfald, slagtilfælde, sammenbrænding
Nederlands (Dutch)
inbeslagneming, bemachtiging, attaque, aanval (medisch), verovering
Français (French)
n. - prise, saisie, capture, (Méd, fig) attaque
Deutsch (German)
n. - Einnahme, Beschlagnahme, Kapern
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κατάληψη, σύλληψη, (ιατρ.) αιφνιδιαστική προσβολή, (νομ.) κατάσχεση, (μηχαν.) μάγκωμα, σφήνωμα, φρακάρισμα, ενσφήνωση
Italiano (Italian)
sequestro, presa di possesso, colpo, ictus
Português (Portuguese)
n. - apreensão (f), ataque (m), emperramento (de motor) (m)
Русский (Russian)
захват, наложение ареста, припадок, заедание
Español (Spanish)
n. - confiscación, incautación, embargo, ataque, detención, secuestro
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - gripande, besittningstagande, intagande, erövring, beslagtagande, konfiskering, anfall, attack
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
抓住, 捉住, 占领, 夺取, 没收
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 抓住, 捉住, 佔領, 奪取, 沒收
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 붙잡기, 압류, 뇌졸증의 발작
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 捕えること, 差し押え, 押収, 発作, 捕らえること
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) نوبه مرضيه
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - תפיסה, השתלטות, עיקול, התקף-לב, שבץ
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Neurological Disorder. Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders. Copyright © 2005 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Antonyms. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Seizure". Read more |
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| Misspellings. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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