Epileptic Seizure Types
Epilepsy affects approximately 2.3 million Americans according to the CDC. It is a group of related disorders that are characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures. Seizures are the most common symptom associated with epilepsy. A seizure is classified as abnormal movement or behavior due to unusual electrical activity in the brain. In regards to epilepsy, there are so many kinds of seizures that neurologists who specialize in epilepsy are still updating their thinking about how to classify them. Typically, seizures are classified into two types, primary generalized seizures and partial seizures. In a recent article, “Understanding Seizures and Epilepsy,” WebMD identifies and describes the major categories of epileptic seizures.
General seizures are generated from electrical impulses from the entire brain. Currently there are six known major categories of general seizures: Gran-Mal, absence, myoclinic, clonic, tonic and atonic seizures. The most common and most severe is the Gran-Mal seizure. During a Gran-Mal seizure a patient first loses consciousness and collapses then experiences extreme body stiffening and violent jerking.
Partial seizers are impulses which are created from electrical pulses located in a relatively small portion of the brain. Partial seizures are divided into three major categories: simple, complex and secondary generalized seizures. From their simple seizures are further divided by their nature into four categories: motor, autonomic, sensory and psychological.
It is important to develop an understanding of the different classifications of seizers because each seizure is treated differently. To learn more about epilepsy and specifically about different types of seizures visit NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Neuroscience department.
