Simple Partial Seizures
Simple partial seizures may consist of a wide range of abnormal
movements or sensations; however, the person remains fully
conscious.
- Symptoms
- Jerking or tingling of extremities
- Hallucinations that affect seeing, hearing, tasting,
smelling
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Many kinds of partial seizure disorders are found in young
children. The most common is benign rolandic epilepsy of childhood.
Onset is usually between 18 months and 13 years of age. Children are
likely to have a family history of the condition. Most seizures occur
at night, and they typically wake the child. Facial numbness,
twitching, difficulty talking, and drooling occur.
Almost all children outgrow these seizures by mid-adolescence.
Recent studies suggest that children with this condition may have
mild problems with attention and visual motor skills. Overall,
however, the developmental outlook is good.
Complex Partial Seizures
Complex partial seizures can include all of the symptoms of a
simple partial seizure. However, by definition, consciousness is
always impaired to some degree during the episode.
- Symptoms
- Jerking or tingling of an extremity
- Hallucinations that affect sight, sound, taste, and
smell
- Automatisms--controlled, repetitive movements, such as
lip smacking or fumbling
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Hallucinations (such as unpleasant odors) and prickly sensations
are common. Automatisms--somewhat controlled,
repetitive movements such as fumbling, lip smacking, and grimacing--are often seen. The child may act confused and aggressive
during and after the seizure.
These seizures are commonly associated with behavioral problems
and developmental delays. However, they are also found in children
who experience no other disorders.
Absence Seizures
Absence seizures were formerly known as petit mal (in
French, literally "little bad") seizures. They typically occur in
otherwise healthy children between 3 and 12 years of age.
- Symptoms
During a typical absence seizure, the child will abruptly stop
whatever he or she is doing, and will stare vacantly, sometimes with
fluttering eyelids. During the seizure, which usually lasts about 5
to 10 seconds, the child is unresponsive. He or she then promptly
resumes activity with full consciousness, and has no memory of the
seizure. Such spells may occur dozens of times per day. They can
cause attentional and academic problems for a child in school.
Absence seizures also can place children at increased risk of
accidental injury.
Most children with absence epilepsy will be free of seizures by
the time they reach adulthood. However, this positive prognosis
belies several potential problems.
About half of all children with absence epilepsy have at least one
generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Children who have recurrent
generalized seizures are at increased risk of absence seizures in
adulthood.
Ongoing adult absence epilepsy is also more common in children
who:
- Have a family history of epilepsy.
- Have other kinds of seizures in addition to absence
seizures.
- Have their first seizures late in childhood.
Atonic/Tonic Seizures
Atonic seizures
symptoms
Also known as drop attacks, atonic
seizures result in the abrupt loss of muscle tone throughout the
body. The standing or walking child may suddenly pitch forward
without demonstrating any protective reflexes. Children who are
sitting or lying down may exhibit head bobbing or rolling.
Tonic seizures symptoms
The child in the throes of a tonic seizure
becomes rigid and may have abnormal eye movements. When a tonic or
atonic seizure ends, the child quickly returns to a normal level of
neurologic function.
Children who have either atonic or tonic
seizures are likely to have other kinds of seizures as well. They may
also have significant mental disability.
Many of these children have a condition
called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Most of the children with this
symdrome are boys. Its symptoms include:
- Seizures of more than one
kind
- Autistic symptoms
- Mental retardation
Myoclonic Seizures (including infantile
spasms)
Several specific syndromes are associated with myoclonic
seizures.
Symptoms
Myoclonic seizures consist of single or multiple brief, irregular
muscular contractions of the trunk and/or extremities. A brief loss
of consciousness sometimes occurs.
Infantile spasms, or West's syndrome
Symptoms
Children with infantile spasms exhibit quick, "jackknifing" muscular
spasms of the head, trunk, and extremities. Spasms often occur in
clusters; an infant may have dozens of spasms each day. Affected
infants also show slowed or regressed development, and characteristic
EEG findings.
Therapy for infantile spasms has traditionally consisted of
hormonal treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated success with
some of the new anticonvulsants. Even if the seizures are well
controlled, a child with infantile spasms is at high risk for mental
disability
Benign myoclonic epilepsy affects normally developing infants and
toddlers. One third of all infants who develop this form of epilepsy
have a family history of epilepsy.
Symptoms: During a typical episode, the child typically flings her
arms to the side, flexes her legs, and drops her chin to her chest.
The child will usually remain conscious.
The prognosis for normal development is good, although affected
children may be at increased risk for epilepsy as adolescents.
Severe myoclonic epilepsy
Severe myoclonic epilepsy also begins in infancy. A family history
of epilepsy is frequently seen in this condition. In contrast to its
benign counterpart, severe myoclonic epilepsy is associated with
developmental delay and loss of balance.
Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Formerly called grand mal (in French, literally, "big bad")
seizures, these are the most common epileptic seizures of
childhood.
Symptoms
- As the seizure begins, the child may cry or moan.
- Alternating rigid (tonic) postures and jerking (clonic)
movements.
- The child may bite his tongue.
- His eyes may turn to one side or roll back.
- He may lose control of bladder or bowel.
- Secretions may pool in the mouth and airways as the child
breathes rapidly and deeply.
Following this type of seizure, the child usually sleeps. Upon
awakening, some children report sore muscles and tongue pain.
Generalized tonic-clonic seizures usually stop on their own after
several minutes. Sometimes, however, anticonvulsant medications must
be given to help stop the seizure. Rarely, these seizures are
difficult to stop even with emergency intervention.
For these reasons, this kind of seizure
presents the highest risk for the child. It is the type of seizure
most likely to require intervention from caregivers.
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