Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Table of Contents

Definition

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.

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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)