Seizure (cont.)
Generalized Seizures
Generalized seizures are a result of abnormal neuronal activity on both sides
of the brain. These seizures may cause loss of consciousness, falls, or massive
muscle spasms.
There are many kinds of generalized seizures. In absence seizures, the person
may appear to be staring into space and/or have jerking or twitching muscles.
These seizures are sometimes referred to as petit mal seizures,
which is an older term. Tonic seizures cause stiffening of muscles of the body,
generally those in the back, legs, and arms. Clonic seizures cause repeated
jerking movements of muscles on both sides of the body. Myoclonic seizures cause
jerks or twitches of the upper body, arms, or legs. Atonic seizures cause a loss of
normal muscle tone. The affected person will fall down or may drop his or her
head involuntarily. Tonic-clonic seizures cause a mixture of symptoms, including
stiffening of the body and repeated jerks of the arms and/or legs as well as
loss of consciousness. Tonic-clonic seizures are sometimes referred to by an
older term: grand mal seizures.
Not all seizures can be easily defined as either focal or generalized. Some
people have seizures that begin as focal seizures but then spread to the entire
brain. Other people may have both types of seizures but with no clear pattern.
Society's lack of understanding about the many different types of seizures is
one of the biggest problems for people with epilepsy. People who witness a
non-convulsive seizure often find it difficult to understand that behavior which
looks deliberate is not under the person's control. In some cases, this has led
to the affected person being arrested or admitted to a psychiatric hospital. To
combat these problems, people everywhere need to understand the many different
types of seizures and how they may appear.
Next: What Are the Different Kinds of Epilepsy? »
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