Epilepsy is a chronic neurologic condition marked by the recurrence of unprovoked seizures. Seizures in turn, are paroxysmal events that result from abnormal neuronal discharges. Both the terms seizure disorder and epilepsy are interchangeable and refer to recurrent, unprovoked seizures.
Which conditions are characterized by episodes of uncontrolled and excessive electrical activity in the brain?
A seizure disorder is a medical condition characterized by episodes of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, thus producing symptoms that include two or more seizures.
What is a massive discharge of neurons in the brain?
A seizure (from the Latin sacire—to take possession of) is the clinical manifestation of an abnormal, excessive, hypersynchronous discharge of a population of cortical neurons. Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system characterized by recurrent seizures unprovoked by an acute systemic or neurologic insult.
What is a convulsion?
A convulsion is an episode in which you experience rigidity and uncontrolled muscle spasms along with altered consciousness. The spasms cause jerky motions that generally last a minute or two.What are the 3 types of seizures?
- Generalized onset seizures:
- Focal onset seizures:
- Unknown onset seizures:
Is the disorder characterized by seizures?
Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations and sometimes loss of awareness. Anyone can develop epilepsy.
What is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures?
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that is manifested in the form of recurrent, spontaneous seizure episodes or convulsions, the latter reflecting sudden, stereotyped episodes with accompanying changes in motor activity, sensation, and behavior.
What are the 4 types of seizures?
It causes seizures, which are bursts of electricity in the brain. There are four main types of epilepsy: focal, generalized, combination focal and generalized, and unknown. A person’s seizure type determines what kind of epilepsy they have. Different types of seizures affect the brain in different ways.What are the 6 types of seizures?
- Simple Focal Seizures. Simple focal seizures occur for a short amount of time – typically lasting less than one minute. …
- Complex Focal Seizure. …
- Absence Seizure. …
- Atonic Seizure. …
- Tonic-Clonic Seizure. …
- Myoclonic Seizure.
- Abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood.
- Brain infection, including meningitis and encephalitis.
- Brain injury that occurs to the baby during labor or childbirth.
- Brain problems that occur before birth (congenital brain defects)
- Brain tumor (rare)
- Drug abuse.
- Electric shock.
- Epilepsy.
Are myoclonic jerks seizures?
Myoclonic (MY-o-KLON-ik) seizures are brief, shock-like jerks of a muscle or a group of muscles. “Myo” means muscle and “clonus” (KLOH-nus) means rapidly alternating contraction and relaxation—jerking or twitching—of a muscle. Usually they don’t last more than a second or two.
How is epilepsy treated?
Most people with epilepsy can become seizure-free by taking one anti-seizure medication, which is also called anti-epileptic medication. Others may be able to decrease the frequency and intensity of their seizures by taking a combination of medications.
How is epilepsy seizures treated?
- medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)
- surgery to remove a small part of the brain that’s causing the seizures.
- a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures.
- a special diet (ketogenic diet) that can help control seizures.
What are the 12 types of seizures?
- generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTC)
- tonic seizures.
- clonic seizures.
- absence seizures.
- myoclonic seizures.
- atonic seizures.
- infantile or epileptic spasms.
What are the warning signs of epilepsy?
- Temporary confusion—often described as a “fuzzy” feeling.
- A staring spell.
- Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs.
- Loss of consciousness or awareness.
- Psychic symptoms—out-of-body feelings or not feeling “in the moment”
- Memory lapses.
Which type of seizure affects one side of the brain?
Simple focal seizures, also known as auras, occur in one area on one side of the brain, but may spread from there. The person does not lose consciousness during a simple focal seizure.
Is epilepsy chronic neurological conditions?
Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of the brain that affects people of all ages. Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.
Which condition is a chronic degenerative central nervous disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors rigidity and a slow or shuffling gait?
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative, slowly progressing illness of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by bradykinesia, shuffling gait, postural instability, tremor, and loss of automatic movement, which is associated with damaged basal ganglions.
What is the degenerative disorder of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem?
Motor neuron diseases. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig disease) is a degenerative disorder of the corticobulbar and spinal tracts (upper motor neurons) and lower cranial nerves in the brainstem and anterior horn cells in the spinal cord (lower motor neurons).
What is pathophysiology epilepsy?
Pathophysiology. Seizures are paroxysmal manifestations of the electrical properties of the cerebral cortex. A seizure results when a sudden imbalance occurs between the excitatory and inhibitory forces within the network of cortical neurons in favor of a sudden-onset net excitation.
What's the difference between epilepsy and seizure disorder?
Epilepsy vs Seizures A seizure is a single occurrence, whereas epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by two or more unprovoked seizures.
Is epilepsy a neurological deficit?
Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages. Epilepsy means the same thing as “seizure disorders.” Epilepsy is characterized by unpredictable seizures and can cause other health problems.
What is childhood epilepsy called?
Benign rolandic epilepsy, also called benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes, is one of the most common childhood seizure disorders. Seizures typically begin when children are 2 to 13 years old.
Which seizure affects both side of brain?
Generalized seizures affect both sides of the brain.
What does an EEG tell you?
An EEG records the electrical activity of your brain via electrodes affixed to your scalp. EEG results show changes in brain activity that may be useful in diagnosing brain conditions, especially epilepsy and other seizure disorders.
What is a Pseudoseizure disorder?
Pseudoseizure is an older term for events that appear to be epileptic seizures but, in fact, do not represent the manifestation of abnormal excessive synchronous cortical activity, which defines epileptic seizures. They are not a variation of epilepsy but are of psychiatric origin.
What is the difference between clonic and myoclonic seizures?
The distinction between myoclonic seizures and clonic seizures is not clear. Classically, clonic seizures are rapid rhythmically recurrent events, whereas myoclonic seizures are single or irregularly recurrent events. Mechanisms are different from those of the clonic phase of generalized tonic-clonic seizures.
What causes seizures in the brain?
Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a person has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.
What is the difference between clonus and myoclonus?
Myoclonus is a brief, involuntary, irregular (lacking rhythm) twitching of a muscle or a group of muscles, different from clonus, which is rhythmic or regular. Myoclonus describes a medical sign and, generally, is not a diagnosis of a disease.
Do myoclonic seizures cause brain damage?
It can be the most disabling form of myoclonus affecting the arms, legs, and face. One of the causes may be brain damage that results from a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain, or it can be secondary to other medical or neurological conditions.
Will myoclonic seizures show up on EEG?
An EEG is a brain wave test that detects seizure activity in the brain. Myoclonus is considered a seizure when it is accompanied by EEG changes. A sleep-deprived EEG is particularly helpful for myoclonic seizures because the seizures often occur immediately prior to or after sleep.
