Table of Contents
- Overview
- Treatment
- Prevention
A seizure is the physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
See also:
Generalized tonic clonic seizure Partial (focal) seizure Petit mal (absence) seizure Epilepsy -
Fever (febrile) convulsions (seizures in children with high fever)
Alternative Names
Secondary seizures; Reactive seizures; Seizure - secondary; Seizure - reactive
Considerations
There are a wide variety of possible symptoms of seizures, depending on what parts of the brain are involved. Many, if not all, types of seizures cause loss of awareness and some cause twitching or shaking of the body.
However, some seizures may be hard to notice because they consist of staring spells that can easily go unnoticed. Occasionally, seizures can cause temporary changes in sensation or vision.
Review Date: 03/21/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine; Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy
at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare
Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director,
A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
