Epilepsy

 

Part 2

CLASSIFICATION OF EPILEPSY

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which the brain activity becomes abnormal, resulting in seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations and at times loss of awareness.

The seizures are generally classified as either focal or generalized, based on how and where the abnormal brain activity occurs.

FOCAL SEIZURES-

This is referred to the ones that result from abnormal activities in just one area of the brain and are further categorized into 2 sub categories:

• Focal seizures without a loss of consciousness: Once known as simple partial seizures, these instances don’t cause a loss of consciousness. Instead, they may alter emotions or change the way things look, smell, feel, taste or sound. Some people experience Deja vu. This may also result in involuntary jerking of one body part such as an arm or leg and spontaneous sensory symptoms such as tingling, dizziness and flashing lights.

• Focal seizures with impaired awareness: It used to be known as complex partial seizures, which include changing or loss of consciousness or awareness. This instance can feel like “being in a dream”. During this one may stare into space and not respond normally to the environment or perform repetitive movements such as hand rubbing, chewing, swallowing or walking in circles.

Symptoms of this category can be mistaken with other neurological disorders such as migraine, narcolepsy or mental illness. A thorough examination and testing is required to distinguish epilepsy from other disorders.

GENERALIZED SEIZURES-

These are referred to seizures that involve all areas of the brain and are divided into 6 types: 

• Absence seizures: Previously known as petit mal seizures, typically occur in children. They are characterized by staring into space with or without subtle body movements such as eye-blinking or lip smacking that can last between 5-10 seconds. These may occur in clusters and can happen as often as 100 times a day and cause a brief loss of awareness.

• Tonic seizures: These may affect consciousness and can cause stiffening of muscles. Usually affects muscles in the back, arms and legs and may cause you to fall to the ground.

• Atonic seizures: Also known as drop seizures, atonic seizures cause a loss of muscle control. Since this most often affects the legs it often causes sudden collapse.

• Clonic seizures: They are associated with repeated or rhythmic jerking muscle movements. Usually affects the neck, face and arms.

• Myoclonic seizures: Appears as sudden brief jerks or twitches and usually affects the upper body arms and legs.

Tonic-clonic seizures: They were previously known grand mal seizures and are the most dramatic type of epileptic seizures. They can cause an abrupt loss of consciousness and body stiffening, twitching and shaking and can also sometimes cause loss of bladder control or biting tongue.

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