Seizures

Cause by an “electrical storm” in the brain during which nerve cells fire rapid electrical impulses.  It can be caused by epilepsy, high fever, narcolepsy, Tourette’s syndrome, cardiac arrhythmia, eclampsia, or brain damage.  There are more that 30 types of seizures, divided into two major categories.  Patial seizures occur in only one area of the brain, and make up about 60% of all seizures.  During a simple partial seizure, the person remains conscious but may have unusual or unexplainable feelings of joy, anger, sadness, or nausea.  The may hear, taste, smell, see, or feel things that are not there.  Complex partial seizures lasts only a few seconds, and the person just blanks out or has strange movements called automatisms.  The person may have an aura that indicates that a seizure is coming.  Generalized seizures result from abnormal neuronal activity in many types of the brain.  Absence seizures causes momentary unconsciousness where the person may stare into space for several moments or have jerking or twitching movements.  In tonic seizures, the person stiffens muscles of the body, usually the back, arms, and legs.  In clonic seizures, both sides of the body experience jerking movements.  Myoclonic seizures  cause the person to experience sudden jerking movements of the upper body, arms, or legs.  Atonic seizures cause the person to lose normal muscle tone and fall down, nodding the head involuntarily like a rag doll.  Tonic-clinic seizures  include a mixture of symptoms like loss of consciousness, stiffening of the body, and repeated jerking of the arms and legs.  This is also called a grand mal seizure.  Seizures caused by epilepsy are usually treated with a combination of drugs, and sometimes surgery.