Seizure Types Although seizures are a sign of Epilepsy, not all people who have seizures have Epilepsy. There are over 40 types of seizures, and we describe some of the ones you may encounter. ************************* A seizure is an abnormal movement or behaviour caused by unusual electrical activity in the brain. In contrast, Epilepsy is a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures. Prognosis depends on the type of Epilepsy, which is determined by the syndrome, thus, the combination of the seizure type, the interictal EEG, and the age of onset.  A.        Abdominal Epilepsy, Absence Seizures, Akinetic Seizures, Atonic Seizures,  Atypical Absence Seizures, Auras, Autonomic Seizures B.        Benign Rolandic Epilepsy, Bilateral Myoclonus Seizures C.        Catamenial Seizures, Clonic Seizures, Complex Absence Seizures, Complex Febrile Seizures, Complex partial (psychomotor) Seizures. D.        Drop Seizures E.         Emotional Seizures F.         Febrile Seizures, Focal Seizures  G.        Gelastic Seizures, Grand Mal Seizures I.          Infantile spasms J.         Jacksonian Seizure L.         Lafora Disease, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, Limbic Seizures M.        Mitochondrial Disorders, Motor Seizures, Musicogenic Seizures,Multi-focal Seizures, Myoclonic Seizures N.        Neonatal Seizures,Nocturnal Seizures P.        Partial-onset, Petit Mal Seizures, Photosensitive Seizures, Post-Traumatic Epilepsy, Provoked Seizures, Pseudo Seizures,  Psychogenic non-epileptic Seizures, Psychogenic Seizures, Psychomotor Seizures, Progressive Epilepsy Syndromes, Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsies R.        Rasmussen's Syndrome, Reflex Epilepsies, Rolandic Seizures S.         Secondarily Generalized Seizures, Sensory Seizures, Simple Absence seizures, Simple Febrile Seizures, Simple Partial Epilepsy, Status Epilepticus,Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Subtle Seizures,Sylvan Seizures (also known as Rolandic Seizures), Symptomatic Febrile Seizures T.           T.          Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Tonic Seizures, Tonic-clonic Seizures V.         Visual Seizures W.        Withdrawal Seizures Seizure Types Depending or based on the type of behaviour and the brain activity, seizures are divided into two broad categories, Generalized and Partial. In Generalized seizures the electrical impulses are covered throughout the entire brain whereas Partial seizures are produced initially by these electrical impulses in a relatively small part of the brain. The 6 basic generalized seizures are tonic-clonic, absence, atonic, myoclonic (jerks)  - and the partial seizures simple and complex seizures. Abdominal Epilepsy describes a group of gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances caused by epileptiform seizure activity seen on EEG tracing. While a causal relationship has not been proven, the GI symptoms cannot be explained by other pathophyisological mechanisms, and are seen to improve upon anticonvulsant treatment. The phenomenon seems to be very rare, with a total of 36 case reports published in English medical literature during the last 35 years. Trousseau is commonly credited as the first to describe the condition in 1868 in a boy with paroxysmal GI symptoms culminating in Grand Mal epileptic seizures. The first account of Abdominal Epilepsy supported by EEG tracings came in 1944 in an article by M.T. Moore, followed by several subsequent case reports from the same group Absence Seizures Another name for this type of seizure is Petit Mal. Awareness and responsiveness are impaired.  People who have them usually don’t realize when they’ve had one. No warning, and the person is completely alert immediately afterward. Can often blank out for 20sec at a time.  During seizure does not appear to hear, usually blinks repetitively and eyes may roll.  During shorter seizures a person could stare.  Then continue on as if nothing happened. Absence seizure is a primary generalized epileptic seizure, usually lasting less than 20 seconds, characterized by a stare sometimes associated with blinking or brief automatic movements of the mouth or hands; formerly called petit mal seizure. Absence seizures usually begin in childhood, are usually easily controlled with medication, and are outgrown by approximately 75% of children. See Atypical absence seizure. Akinetic Seizures Focal Akinetic seizures are probably due to epileptic activation of negative motor areas. Akinetic seizures (Also called Atonic seizures, drop seizures, drop attacks), are a minor type of Seizure. They consist of a brief lapse in muscle tone that is caused by temporary alterations in brain function. The seizures are brief - usually less than fifteen seconds. They begin in childhood and may persist into adulthood. The seizure itself causes no damage, but the loss of muscle control can result in falling and injuring oneself in that way. Atonic Seizures The person may fall to the ground, a drop seizure that may last only 15 seconds.  The muscle tone is the muscles normal tension.  The word Atonic means without tone, and the muscle suddenly loses its strength and the person falls.  These are sometimes referred to as drop attacks.  Some of these will often have tonic seizures involving sudden muscle contraction rather than atonic seizures.  They are diagnosed through EEG monitoring to confirm the diagnosis.  They are often identified in children with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.  Being the seizure or drop happens so quickly there is greater risk of injury to the child.  Protective head gear such as a helmet is often suggested. Atonic seizures are divided in two separate groups:  Partial Atonic and Generalized Atonic.  In a Partial seizure this can take on 3 different areas drop attacks, focal atonic seizures, and negative myoclonus. In Atonic seizures the person may loose consciousness but there is no convulsion involved. The child regains consciousness fairly quickly, stands up and walks immediately following. Atypical Absence Seizures  It's hard to tell when a person having one a seizure or "staring spells". During these seizures they do not respond as quickly as at other times. These usually last 5-30 seconds with a gradual start and ending. Atypical which is pronounced ‘a-TIP-i-kul, means unusual or not typical.  The person will stare as they would in any absence seizure but sometimes is somewhat responsive.  Eye blinking or slight jerking movements of the lips may happen.  This can sometimes be hard to distinguish from the person’s usual behavior, especially in those with lower intelligence.  This type of seizure usually can not be produced by rapid breathing. Who usually gets them?  Generally they begin before the age of 6.  Most children affected have below-average intelligence and other types of seizures that are difficult to control.  Many have Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. These seizures will continue on into adulthood. The diagnosis again here in these cases is made through the EEG. Auras Some people have a distinctive feeling or some other warning sign when a seizure is coming. A warning like this is also called an aura. Although some auras are unpleasant, they can be helpful because they can give you time to prepare for the seizure and keep yourself from being injured. Most injuries from seizures happen if there is no warning sign, if the warning is not recognized, or if there is not enough time to react to it. Auras vary significantly between different people. Yours may happen right before a seizure or several minutes or hours earlier. Common warning signs right before seizures are changes in bodily sensations, changes in your ability to interact with things happening outside you, and changes in how familiar the outside world seems to you. Other warning signs that may happen hours before a seizure are depression, irritability, sleep disruption, nausea, and headache. Autonomic Seizures These cause changes in the part of the nervous system that automatically controls bodily functions. These common seizures may include strange or unpleasant sensations in the stomach, chest, or head; changes in the heart rate or breathing; sweating; or goose bumps. Benign Rolandic Epilepsy This is an epilepsy syndrome.  What is a syndrome? Some young people have a definite set pattern of seizure type associated with a particular pattern of learning and behaviour and at times there may also be a set family history or physical appearance. Where a pattern is present of one or more of these features which fits in with a similar pattern seen in many other people, this is known as a syndrome .  It is called benign because it has a good outcome and nearly all children diagnosed with it will outgrow it during puberty.  Rolandic means, this is the part of the brain where the seizure begins.  It is classified as partial because only one part of the brain is involved. The seizure may cause twitching movements on one side of the face or body.  There are times when both sides of the body are affected and at this time the child looses consciousness, may being jerking movements and may also become incontinent.  Being diagnosed as Benign your child will have a very good outcome and does not experience any learning difficulties. Bilateral Myoclonus Seizures Jerks of massive bilateral myoclonus mainly involve the upper limbs, with elevation of the shoulders producing slight contraction of the trunk. This rarely causes the patient to fall. Massive bilateral myoclonus can be asymmetrical, and it is a challenge in clinical practice to distinguish within asymmetrical jerks those that correspond to focal jerk with secondary generalization from those that correspond to generalized although asymmetrical jerks. Jerks are clearly increased by waking up and falling asleep; a child with massive bilateral myoclonus may have sleep difficulties caused by jerks that wake him up each time he starts to fall asleep. Jerks may also be precipitated by photic stimulation. Other kinds of seizures that could resemble massive bilateral myoclonus are myoclonic-astatic seizures and spasms. Massive myoclonus occurs in benign myoclonic epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, and myoclonic-astatic epilepsy. Catamenial Seizures Catamenial refers to seizure activity associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle.  Fluctuations in female hormones prior to and during menstruation may elevate seizure frequency in some women.  For some this may occur only days just before, for others it is during the period itself.  Higher ratios of estrogen to progesterone may increase seizure frequency.  Water retention, electrolyte imbalance, and even poor sleep are also contributing causes.  These may happen with other types of seizures present as well.  Other disorders have been noted as well.  Such as scanty menstruation, or the absence of along with irregular length.  When the usual epilepsy drugs do not work to control this type of seizure other progesterone derivates may be administered Clonic Seizures During a clonic seizure, you may lose control of bodily functions and begin jerking in various parts of the body. Consciousness may be temporarily lost and followed by confusion. Clonic seizures begin in early childhood. They often appear to be a case of massive bilateral epileptic myoclonus, though the motor features of it may be less symmetrical. With time, clonic seizures may eventually progress to generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Complex Absence Seizures Complex Absence seizures are usually more than 10 seconds long. Absence seizures usually begin between ages 4-14. Children who get them usually have normal development and intelligence. A good percentage (70% aprox) of people who have absence seizures will stop by age 18.  After the age of 10 there is less of a chance of outgrowing them. Some Absence seizures can resemble some complex partial seizures or episodes of daydreaming.  How to tell the difference?  A complex partial is rarely more than several times per day or week, while the Absence could be many times per day. Complex Febrile Seizures Febrile seizures (convulsive seizures) are seizures that are triggered by a fever. They occur in about 4% of children aged 6 months to 5 years but most often occur in children aged 9 to 20 months. Febrile seizures tend to run in families. Most children who have a febrile seizure have only one, and most seizures last for less than 15 minutes. Febrile seizures may be simple or complex. In simple febrile seizures, the entire body shakes (in a generalized seizure) for less than 15 minutes. In complex febrile seizures, the entire body shakes for more than 15 minutes, only one side of the body shakes—a partial seizure—for more than 15 minutes, or seizures occur at least twice within 24 hours. Children who have complex febrile seizures are slightly more likely to develop a seizure disorder later in life. Complex partial (psychomotor) Seizures These affect a larger area of the brain than simple partial seizures and they affect consciousness. During a complex partial seizure, which usually begin with an aura that lasts 1 to 2 minutes a person cannot interact normally with other people, is not in control of his or her movements, speech or actions; doesn't know what he or she is doing; and cannot remember afterwards what happened during the seizure. Although someone may appear to be conscious because he or she remains standing with eyes open and moving about, it will be an altered consciousness - a dreamlike, almost trancelike state. A person may even be able to speak, but the words are unlikely to make sense and he or she will not be able to respond to others in an appropriate way. Although complex partial seizures can affect any area of the brain, they often take place in one of the brain's two temporal lobes. Because of this, the condition is sometimes called "temporal lobe epilepsy." "Psychomotor epilepsy" is another term doctors may use to describe complex partial seizures. Typically, a complex partial seizure starts with a blank stare and loss of contact with surroundings. This is often followed by chewing movements with the mouth, picking at or fumbling with clothing, mumbling and performing simple, unorganized movements over and over again. Consciousness is altered during the event. Patients may have some symptoms similar to those in simple partial seizures but have some change in their ability to interact with the environment. Often accompanying these symptoms are the presence of unusual thoughts, such as the feeling of deja vu (having been someplace before), uncontrollable laughing, fear, visual hallucinations, and experiencing unusual unpleasant odours. These interesting symptoms are thought to be caused by abnormal discharges in the temporal lobe. Drop Seizures Falling seizures, otherwise termed epileptic drop-attacks, are a heterogeneous group of epileptic seizures in which the fall represents the main or only feature in the absence of any major motor phenomena. Falling seizures may be caused by a variety of seizure types (either generalized or partial) and mechanisms, including massive myoclonus, tonic contraction, pure atonic events, or the combinations of motor phenomena, as in the case of myoclonic-astatic seizures. The atonic-astatic seizures are most troubling because of the injuries caused by repeated falls. Many children wear protective helmets. 1.Brief atonic seizures (effondrements epileptique or drop seizures) in which loss of tone may be restricted to the head (head drop) or involve all postural muscles, leading to a slumping to the ground. If consciousness is lost, this loss is extremely brief, and the patients are able stand up immediately after the fall. (2) Prolonged atonic seizures (akinetic seizures) in which the loss of consciousness and the generalized atonia last from 1 to several minutes. The patient falls to the ground and remains mute and motionless. Emotional Seizures in which neurochemicals (e.g.,dopamine,noradrenaline and serotonin) step-up or step-down the brain's activity level, as visible in body movements, gestures, and postures. Simple partial seizures which arise in or near the temporal lobes often take the form of an odd experience. One may see or hear things that are not there. One feels emotions, often fear, but sometimes sadness, anger, or joy. There may be a bad smell or a bad taste, a funny feeling in the pit of the stomach or a choking sensation. These seizures are sometimes called simple partial seizures of temporal lobe origin or temporal lobe auras. Febrile Seizures Febrile seizures are convulsions brought on by a fever in infants or small children. During a febrile seizure, a child often loses consciousness and shakes, moving limbs on both sides of the body. Less commonly, the child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body, such as an arm or a leg, or on the right or the left side only. Most febrile seizures last a minute or two, although some can be as brief as a few seconds while others last for more than 15 minutes. The majority of children with febrile seizures have rectal temperatures greater than 102 degrees F. Most febrile seizures occur during the first day of a child's fever. Children prone to febrile seizures are not considered to have epilepsy, since epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures that are not triggered by fever. Focal Seizures  also called partial seizures, and occur in just one part of the brain. About 60 percent of people with epilepsy have focal seizures. These seizures are frequently described by the area of the brain in which they originate. For example, someone might be diagnosed with focal frontal lobe seizures. The symptoms of focal seizures can easily be confused with other disorders. It may take many tests and careful monitoring by an experienced physician to tell the difference between epilepsy and other disorders. In a simple focal seizure, the person will remain conscious but experience unusual feelings or sensations that can take many forms. The person may experience sudden and unexplainable feelings of joy, anger, sadness, or nausea. He or she also may hear, smell, taste, see, or feel things that are not real. In a complex focal seizure, the person has a change in or loss of consciousness. Gelastic Seizures    Gelastic Seizures are defined as sudden outburst of emotion usually in the form of a laugh or a cry lasting usually 5 to 6- seconds. They may be accompanied by forced eye movements, chewing or grinding the teeth, tonic posturing, and clonic jerking. The person may appear confused and/or dazed during and after an episode. Research shows that gelastic seizures often occur in people who have an (often maternal) family history of migraines. Grand Mal Seizures (Also called generalized epilepsy, tonic-clonic, generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy, generalized tonic-clonic seizure, grand mal epilepsy, Grand mal seizure, idiopathic epilepsy, major epilepsy. The most common and dramatic, and therefore the most well known, is the generalized convulsion, also called the Grand-Mal seizure. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (also called grand mal seizures) are the type of seizure that most people associate with the term "seizure," convulsion, or epilepsy. They may occur in people of any age, as a single episode or as a repeated, chronic condition (epilepsy). Most grand mal seizures last from 30 seconds to five minutes. After the seizure, they may experience a headache and drowsiness or confusion.  The majority of seizures that do occur as just a single episode, are generalized tonic-clonic seizures rather than other types. Generalized seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity at multiple locations in the brain and/or over a large area of the brain. This results in loss of consciousness and body stiffening, which is followed by shaking of the arms and legs. Infantile spasms Infantile spasms and febrile seizures occur almost exclusively in children. Even the terminology surrounding infantile spasms is complex, as the term infantile spasms has been used to refer to both a specific seizure type and a complete epilepsy syndrome. The seizure type of infantile spasms (also referred to as epileptic spasms or simply spasms) is characterized by brief, but often repetitive, muscle contractions usually involving the head, trunk, and extremities. The epilepsy syndrome of infantile spasms is also known as West syndrome. Jacksonian Seizure: A form of epilepsy involving brief alteration in movement, sensation or nerve function caused by abnormal electrical activity in a localized area of the brain. Seizures of this type typically cause no change in awareness or alertness. They are transient, fleeting, ephemeral. Jacksonian seizures are extremely varied and may involve, for example, apparently purposeful movements such as turning the head, eye movements, smacking the lips, mouth movements, drooling, rhythmic muscle contractions in a part of the body, abnormal numbness, tingling, and a crawling sensation over the skin. These seizures are named for the English neurologist, John Hughlings Jackson, who studied speech defects in brain disorders and confirmed the location in the brain of the speech center ("Broca's center"). He described what are today called Jacksonian seizures in 1863 and in 1875 found the areas in the brain that caused them. Jackson was among the towering figures of 19th-century medicine, one of "the great men of medicine." (There were few, if any, women in medicine in the 19th century.) http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=26727   Lafora Disease Lafora disease is a rare disease and is a form of progressive myoclonic epilepsy with onset in late childhood or adolescence. Clinically defined by the association of myoclonic, epileptic fits and dementia. Lafora disease (LD) is the most common teenage-onset progressive myoclonus epilepsy. The symptoms of Lafora disease, an inherited form of epilepsy, usually begin in late childhood or adolescence and become progressively worse. Research is focusing on understanding the mechanisms behind Lafora Disease to develop treatments for it. Lafora disease is a hereditary disease characterised by the presence of inclusion bodies, known as Lafora bodies, within the cells of neurons, heart, liver, muscle. Major problems in addition to seizures, are muscle spasms, difficulty walking, drop attacks, ataxia, myoclonus, and most importantly a quickly developing progressive and severe dementia.  Landau-Kleffner Syndrome Landau-kleffner syndrome is acquired epilepetic aphasia.The typical history is that of a child whose development is  normal for several years and then, either suddenly or in a fluctuating manner, loses comprehension of speech and the ability to use speech to communicate. The seizures are of  no specific type, and are mostly mild and infrequent partial or atypical absences.  Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome  [LGS]) is a devastating pediatric epilepsy that usually begins in early childhood and is characterised by frequent seizures or multiple types, mental impairment, and a particula brain wave pattern ( a slow spike-and-wave pattern). The seizures that are notoriously  hard to treat and may lead to falls and injuries can be reduced in frequency by treatment with lamotrigone, a chemically novel antiepileptic drug. The syndrome is named for w.g. Lennox and h. Gastaut who described it. Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome As children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome grow older, the types of seizures change. In most cases, the drop seizures abate. They are replaced by partial, complex partial, and secondarily generalized convulsions. Among teenagers with Lennox-Gastaut, complex partial seizures are the most common form. Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (also known as myoclonic-astatic epilepsy) is a combination of seizures usually including atypical absense seizures (starting with automatic behavior without conscious control); tonic seizures (stiffening) atonic or astatic seizures (drop attacks); mental retardation; a distinct slow spike-and-wave EEG; and onset between 1 and 5 years of age. Some children are developmentally normal when the syndrome begins, but then lose skills, sometimes dramatically, in association with uncontrolled seizures. By age 6 most children with Lennox-Gastaut have some degree of mental retardation. Limbic seizures Limbic seizures in childhood differ from those in adults. They are more likely to be caused by cortical dysplasias, related malformations, and tumours. They are more easily, but not invariably, controlled by drugs Mitochondrial Disorders Non-epileptic seizures (called pseudoseizures) are not accompanied by unusual electrical activity in the brain and are most often caused by emotional stress or other psychological factors. This type of seizure can be successfully treated through counselling. There are no symptoms that doctors can use to forecast which patients with mitochondrial disease will develop seizures. Seizures are associated with a widely diverse group of mitochondrial disorders, suggesting that energy production for proper regulatory control within the central nervous system is extremely important.  Motor Seizures These seizures affect the co-ordination and control of the parts of the body which regulate movement. These movements may spread, either staying on one side of the body (opposite the affected area of the brain) or extending to both sides. Other examples are weakness, which can even affect speech, and coordinated actions such as laughter or automatic hand movements. The person may or may not be aware  of these movements. These differ from tonic clonic seizures as they usually only effect a portion of the body and consciousness is not lost Musicogenic Seizures Musicogenic epilepsy is characterized by seizures induced by hearing certain sounds, typically music (Critchley, 1977). Seizures have also been reported while the subject is exposed to the musical trigger during sleep or while merely thinking about it. The effective stimulus can be stereotyped for each patient and at times is exquisitely specific, but with no clear common pattern between patients. An affective component of the stimulus is evident in some patients, yet non-musical sounds, such as whirring machinery, can be effective triggers in others. Multi-focal Seizures Multi-focal epilepsy: this type switches position in the brain and is also generally inoperable. This epilepsy can have various causes, among them encephalitis or other infections such as meningitis, brain malformation or injury in peri-natal life. Myoclonic Seizures Myoclonic Seizures occur in a variety of different seizure types. Chances of control vary according to the type. Myoclonic seizures are short jerks of a single muscle or group of muscles. In these types of seizures the arms, legs, neck and shoulders may be involved in abnormal jerking movements. Usually it occurs on both sides of the body during waking hours. They can be mistaken for clumsiness in children. Neonatal Seizures Seizures during the neonatal period (generally defined as the first month of life) are relatively common, occurring in approximately 1% of all neonates. Neonatal seizures represent an age-specific seizure disorder, which is usually considered to be in a separate category from epilepsy. While in children seizures often occur in the absence of another neurological disorder, neonatal seizures frequently are a non-specific sign of an underlying disease.                                   Nocturnal Seizures Nocturnal seizures are usually tonic-clonic. They might occur just after a person has fallen asleep, just before waking, during daytime sleep, or while in a state of drowsiness. People who experience nocturnal seizures may find it difficult to wake up or to stay awake. Although unaware of having had a seizure while asleep, they may arise with a headache, have temper tantrums, or other destructive behaviour throughout the day. Nocturnal seizures are very uncommon and their mechanisms poorly understood. The majority of people with nocturnal seizures have idiopathic epilepsy and there is evidence that sleep enhances epileptic discharges in the EEG, though their daytime recordings may appear to be normal Partial-onset Seizures Partial onset seizures are caused by excessive electrical activity in just one hemisphere of the brain, resulting in a range of symptoms that may include sudden, jerky movements of one part of the body, distorted hearing, sense of smell or vision, numbness and a sudden sense of fear. Petit Mal Seizures Petit mal seizure is a temporary disturbance of brain function caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain and characterized by abrupt, short-term lack of conscious activity ("absence") or other abnormal change in behaviour. Petit mal seizures occur most commonly in people under age 20, usually in children ages 6 to 12. They may occur in combination with other types of seizures. Typical petit mal seizures last only a few seconds, with full recovery occurring rapidly and no lingering confusion. Such seizures usually manifest themselves as staring episodes or "absence spells" during which the child's activity or speech ceases. The child may stop talking in mid-sentence or cease walking. One to several seconds later, speech or activity resume. If standing or walking, a child seldom falls during one of these episodes. "Spells" can be infrequent or very frequent, occurring many times per hour. Up to hundreds of seizures can occur in a single day. They may occur for weeks to months before they are noticed. They can interfere with school function and learning. Teachers may interpret these seizures as lack of attention or other misbehaviour. Photosensitive Seizures Photosensitive epilepsy is a well-known condition characterized by seizures in patients who show photoparoxysmal responses on electroencephalography (EEG) elicited by intermittent photic stimulation The modern technologic environment has led to a dramatic increase in exposure to potential trigger stimuli; nowadays, television and video games are among the most common triggers in daily life. Post-Traumatic Epilepsy About 1/2 million people annually suffer a head injury sufficient enough to produce skull fractures, neurologic signs, and hospital admission. Depending on the type and extent of head injury, there is at least a threefold increase in the risk of developing recurrent seizures (epilepsy) compared to the “normal” population. One-quarter to one-third of adult patients who have very early or immediate seizures (less than 24 hours) following head trauma go on to have late seizures (post-traumatic epilepsy). The predictive value of early and immediate post-traumatic seizures in children is less clear. Impact seizures, which occur at the time of head trauma, do not, in and of themselves, appear to increase the risk of developing post-traumatic epilepsy. Progressive Epilepsy Syndromes Epilepsy syndromes that cause a person's cognitive or motor abilities to get worse over time are called Progressive Epilepsy Syndromes. In many cases, Epilepsy can cause the patient to develop behavioural and emotional problems. This is especially common in children. Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsies (PMEs) are a group of rare disorders characterized by the occurrence of seizures, myoclonus, and progressive neurological dysfunction. Prolonged Seizures Prolonged simple partial seizures (often motor and clonic) are frequently termed epilepsia partialis continua. Prolonged or clustered seizures sometimes develop into non-stop seizures, a condition called status epilepticus. Provoked Seizures Typically, provoked seizures result from treatable conditions such as sleep deprivation, toxic exposure to stimulants, withdrawal from narcotics, barbiturates, or alcohol, fever, infection, metabolic disturbances, or SLE are single seizures that may occur as the result of trauma, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low blood sodium, high fever or alcohol or drug abuse. Fever-related (or febrile) seizures may occur during infancy and children usually outgrow them by age 6. After a careful evaluation to estimate the risk of recurrence, patients who suffer a single seizure may not need treatment. Pseudo Seizures There is a controversial diagnosis as pseudo-seizures or non-epileptic seizures, which is given to patients who outwardly exhibit signs of a seizure but that do not have abnormal EEG readings. The reason this diagnosis is so controversial is that it implies that the origin of the seizure activity is psychological rather than organic. Persons suffering from pseudo-seizures have other psychological problems and needs unrelated to any head injury. However, there are studies showing that almost 1/3 to 1/2 are suffering from true organic EEG confirmed seizures also suffer from some sort of pseudo-seizure. If you are confronted with this diagnosis, be very careful and get a second opinion. Psychogenic non-Epileptic Seizures are a manifestation or a form of conversion disorder. They take many forms, and particularly can mimic any sort of epilepsy disorder; they are distinguished from epilepsy only in that they are not associated with abnormal, rhythmic discharges of cortical neurons. The condition is not benign; people have broken bones, crashed automobiles, bitten off parts of their tongue, and even died from injuries sustained during non-epileptic seizures. Psychogenic Seizures Epilepsia partialis continua, or so-called "Kozhevnikov syndrome," was first described by Kozhevnikov in 1895 as a disorder characterized by persistent localized motor seizures (Kozhevnikov 1895). In his 4 cases, the seizure disorder consisted of frequent jerks that were resistant to treatment and continued for 3.5 to 5 years in the same part of the body. Kozhevnikov recognized the epileptic nature of these jerks and postulated a localized inflammation of the brain involving the motor strip. Epilepsia partialis continua is characterized by almost continuous, rhythmic muscular contractions affecting a limited part of the body for a period of hours, days, or even years. The myoclonic jerks have a frequency of about 1 to 2 per second and may persist during sleep (Wieser et al 1978; Bancaud et al 1982; Perniola et al 1989). About 60% of the patients exhibit, in addition to an epilepsia partialis continua, other types of seizures (Cockerell et al 1996), such as secondary generalized seizures and complex partial seizures. In addition to muscle twitching, patients may show varying degrees of muscle weakness, sensory loss, or stretch reflex changes. Psychomotor Seizures (Psychomotor, Complex Partial Seizures or Temporal Lobe Seizures) TLE was first recognized in 1881 by John Hughlings Jackson, who described "uncinate fits" and the “dreamy state."  In the 1940s, Gibbs et al introduced the term "psychomotor epilepsy." The international classification of epileptic seizures (1981) replaced the term psychomotor seizures with complex partial seizures. A complex partial seizure does not involve convulsions, but consciousness is impaired. Someone experiencing one will no longer respond to questions after the seizure starts. A complex partial seizure often begins with a blank look or empty stare. Complex partial seizures are also called psychomotor seizures because they affect consciousness and movement. Rasmussen's Syndrome In the majority of instances, Rasmussen's syndrome develops in childhood, and usually begins before the age of 10. Rasmussen syndrome is a form of childhood epilepsy that causes frequent, severe seizures. The condition severely damages one side (hemisphere) of the brain, which usually results in gradual loss of movement and sensation on one side of the body, problems with mental development, partial loss of vision in one eye, and speech and language problems. Infections such as meningitis and encephalitis may be factors in the development of this form of epilepsy. Reflex Epilepsies Reflex Epilepsy (also known as environmental epilepsy) is the cognomens to seizures which are generated by a person’s acuteness to sensor stimulation caused by the environment. A form of epilepsy in which the seizures are induced by sensory stimuli such as music, movement, sudden noise, reading, and touching or seeing an object. Rolandic Seizures Rolandic” refers to the area of the brain where these seizures typically start: the “rolandic” strip, which is also known as the “motor strip.” Benign Rolandic epilepsy is so named because the focus of repetitive spike activity in the brain is predominantly within the mid-temporal or parietal areas, near the motor or Rolandic strip. Originally described by Marinus Rulandus in 1597, 2 benign rolandic epilepsy (BRE) is classified as an idiopathic, localization-related epileptic syndrome. The disorder always begins during childhood. The age range is from 3 to 13 years, with the peak incidence occurring between the 7th and 8th year of life. It is somewhat more common in boys than in girls. Most affected children have normal intelligence and normal findings on the neurologic examination. It is considered idiopathic, meaning that there is no known cause of the epilepsy. Secondarily Generalized Seizures Secondarily generalized seizures are usually partial seizures evolving into generalized seizures, most often with tonic-clonic convulsions. The partial seizures which were once limited to one hemisphere of the brain progress to encompass the entire brain bilaterally, causing a generalized seizure. The clinical nature of a secondarily generalized seizure usually does not differ from that of the initial, originating seizure. Secondarily generalized seizures are predominant in 16% of all children and 9% of all adults with seizure disorders. Most people with complex partial seizures and many with simple partial seizures will experience a secondarily generalized seizure at some point. When they occur frequently, the chances for future partial seizures may be increased. Sensory Seizures These cause changes in any one of the senses. People with sensory seizures may smell or taste things that aren't there; hear clicking, ringing, or a person's voice when there is no actual sound; or feel a sensation of "pins and needles" or numbness. Seizures may even be painful for some patients. They may feel as if they are floating or spinning in space. They may have visual hallucinations, seeing things that aren't there (a spot of light, a scene with people). Sensory seizures are more difficult to detect.  Sometimes partial sensory seizures are as subtle as periods of numbness, Simple Absence Seizures are just stares.  Many absence seizures are considered complex absence seizures which mean that they include a change in muscle activity.  Common here is the blinking of the eyes.  Other can include hand movements such as rubbing the fingers together, and contraction or relaxation of the muscles. Simple Febrile Seizures In infantile spasms (salaam seizures), a child lying on his back suddenly raises and bends the arms, bends the neck and upper body forward, and straightens the legs. These spasms last for only a few seconds, but they may recur many times a day. They usually occur in children younger than 3 years. In many children, the spasms evolve into another type of seizure disorder later in life. In most children with infantile spasms, neurologic function develops slowly, and mental retardation is present. Simple Partial Epilepsy The difference between complex partial and simple partial seizures is that, during simple partial seizures, the person remains conscious and fully aware. However this does not mean that the person experiencing this type of seizure is able to stop or control the symptoms. Simple partial seizures are further subdivided into four categories according to the nature of their symptoms: motor, autonomic, sensory or psychological. Motor symptoms include movements such as jerking and stiffening. Sensory symptoms caused by seizures involve unusual sensations affecting any of the five senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste or touch). When simple partial seizures cause sensory symptoms only (and not motor symptoms), they are called "auras." Status Epilepticus Status epilepticus (SE) is a term describing a state of continuous seizure activity lasting more than 30 minutes. In the past, 30 minutes of continuing seizure or frequent attacks that prevent recovery was required for the definition of status to be met. However, since most seizures last less than four to five minutes, it is now understood that any seizure that continues five minutes or longer should be potentially considered as status epilepticus, and managed accordingly. Status Epilepticus Aka: SE, Generalized Tonic-Clonic SE(GTCSE), Nonconvulsive SE(NCSE), Status Epilepticus - Status epilepticus (SE) is a common, life-threatening neurologic disorder. Sturge-Weber Syndrome Sturge-Weber Syndrome is a genetic disorder of the veins of one half of the brain associated with a facial angiomatous (blood vessel-related) discoloration and mental retardation. The abnormal blood vessels cause calcification of the cortex and seizures, which may respond to removal of the malfunctioning areas. Subtle Seizures Subtle seizures can show themselves in two ways. Firstly, they may look like absence seizures, lasting for a few seconds. Secondly, the brain activity may be even more subtle and very difficult for teachers, parents or healthcare staff to spot. Neonatal seizures also have many other characteristics that are quite different from seizures in children and adults. The neonatal period is limited to the first 28 days of life ... Examples of subtle seizures include chewing, pedalling, or ocular movements. Sylvan Seizures (also know as Rolandic Seizures) Seizures usually occur infrequently, as generalized nocturnal seizures characterized by a variety of minor tonic-clonic movements, often affecting only one side of the face. A seizure begins with a sensation starting at the corner of the mouth, followed by jerking of that corner. The jerking may then spread to the rest of that side of the face, in turn causing a twisting motion. Excessive salivation occurs, along with possible speech arrest. Symptomatic Febrile Seizures About 5 percent of febrile seizures are diagnosed as symptomatic, in cases in which the child has a history or evidence of neurological abnormality.The seizure activity itself is generally characterized as clonic (consisting of rhythmic jerking movements of the arms and/or legs), or tonic-clonic (commencing with a stiffening of the body followed by a clonic phase). Temporal Lobe Epilepsy The temporal lobes, one on each side of the head, just above the ears, are the sites of one of the most common forms of epilepsy. Complex partial seizures with automatisms (unconscious actions), such as lip smacking or rubbing the hands together, are the most common seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy. Seventy-five percent of patients also experience simple partial seizures which may include such features as: a mixture of thoughts, emotions, and feelings that are hard to describe; sudden emergence of old memories or feelings of strangeness in familiar surroundings; hallucinations of voices, music, smells, or tastes, and feelings of unusual fear or joy. While partial seizures dominate, approximately half the people with temporal lobe epilepsy have generalized tonic-clonic seizures as well. The seizures characteristic of temporal lobe epilepsy often begin in the deeper parts of the temporal lobe (part of the limbic system) which control emotions and memory. Memory problems may develop over time in people with this syndrome. Tonic Seizures Tonic seizures are very uncommon, especially when they occur without clonic jerking. They usually are manifest with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or, less commonly, with multiple sclerosis. Tonic seizures most often develop in childhood, although they can occur at any age. Tonic seizures are characterized by facial and truncal muscle spasms, flexion or extension of the upper and lower extremities, and impaired consciousness. Several types of tonic seizures exist. Those grouped with asbsence, myoclonic and atonic seizures are non-convulsive and tend to be brief. The more prolonged seizures usually are convulsive and may manifest pupillary dilation, tachycardia, apnea, cyanosis, salivation, and the loss of bladder or bowel control. Tonic seizures are often followed by postictal confusion. Tonic-Clonic Seizures Generalized tonic clonic seizures (grand mal seizures) are the most common and best known type of generalized seizure. They begin with stiffening of the limbs (the tonic phase), followed by jerking of the limbs and face (the clonic phase). During the tonic phase, breathing may decrease or cease altogether, producing cyanosis (blueing) of the lips, nail beds, and face. Breathing typically returns during the clonic (jerking) phase, but it may be irregular. This clonic phase usually lasts less than a minute. Some people experience only the tonic, or stiffening phase of the seizure; others exhibit only the clonic or jerking movements; still others may have a tonic-clonic-tonic pattern. Incontinence may occur as a result of the seizure. The tongue or inside of the mouth may be bitten during the episode; breathing afterwards may be noisy and appear to be laboured. Contrary to popular belief, nothing should be placed in the mouth during the seizure; turning the patient on one side will help prevent choking and keep the airway clear. Visual Seizures Photosensitive seizures are triggered by light, usually in cycling intermittently, or, for some people, by specific patterns or combinations/alternations of colours. Photosensitive seizures may be provoked by many sources: Photosensitive seizures are usually tonic-clonic,sometimes preceded by mild clonic jerking. Occurrence is predominantly in middle-childhood and, in most cases, diminishes towards adulthood. Withdrawal Seizures This type of seizure is seen when certain medications, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines, are stopped abruptly. In this case, continued treatment with anti-epileptic medications is usually not advisable. Withdrawal seizures are common when a person with alcoholism is trying to quit drinking.   Disclaimer: This article is not meant to replace consultation with trained health care professionals. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse consequences of effects resulting from the use of any of the information or suggestions contained in this article. All research has been done in good faith, using recognized sources.