seizure

Classification and external resources Para-sagittal MRI of the head in a patient with benign familial macrocephaly. ICD-10 G40., I64., P90., R56. ICD-9 345.9 DiseasesDB 19011 eMedicine neuro/694 neuro/415 MeSH D012640

An epileptic seizure is caused by excessive and/or hypersynchronous electrical neuronal activity, and is usually self-limiting.[1] It can manifest as an alteration in mental state, tonic or clonic movements, convulsions, and various other psychic symptoms (such as déjà vu or jamais vu). The medical syndrome of recurrent, unprovoked seizures is termed epilepsy, but seizures can occur in people who do not have epilepsy.

The treatment of epilepsy is a subspecialty of neurology; the study of seizures is part of neuroscience. Doctors who specialize in epilepsy are epileptologists; doctors who specialize in the treatment of children with epilepsy are pediatric epileptologists. Contents [hide] 1 Signs and symptoms 2 Types 3 Diagnosis 3.1 Determining whether a seizure occurred 3.1.1 Physical examination 3.1.2 Serum prolactin level 3.1.3 EEG 3.2 Investigation of underlying cause 4 Management 4.1 Safety 5 Seizures without epilepsy 6 See also 7 References 8 External links //

Signs and symptoms

Seizures can cause involuntary changes in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behavior. A seizure can last from a few seconds to status epilepticus, a continuous seizure that will not stop without intervention. Seizures are often associated with a sudden and involuntary contraction of a group of muscles and loss of consciousness. However, a seizure can also be as subtle as marching numbness of a part of the body, a brief or long term loss of memory, sparkling or flashes, sensing/discharging of an unpleasant odor similar to alcohol base being produced by internal organs, a strange epigastric sensation or a sensation of fear and total state of confusion which in some cases leads to death during seizure. Therefore seizures are typically classified as motor, sensory, autonomic, emotional or cognitive. After a heavy seizure attack, since the brain is recovering, there is a sudden loss of memory; usually the short term memory[citation needed].

In some cases, the full onset of a seizure event is preceded by some of the sensations described above. These sensations can serve as a warning to the sufferer that a full tonic-clonic seizure is about to occur. These "warning sensations" are cumulatively called an aura.[1] Also, it is commonly believed among healthcare providers[citation needed] that many seizures, especially those in children, are preceded