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Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. A seizure is an event that involves loss of consciousness and motor (muscular) control. A person with a seizure disorder often experiences repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions. The condition is caused by a sudden change in electrical activity in the brain.
The medical profession now recognizes about twenty different kinds of epilepsy. These forms of the disorder vary on the basis of severity and the parts of the body affected by the seizure. Most individuals have only one form of epilepsy; however, approximately 30 percent have two or more forms of the disorder. The two most common types of epilepsy are called tonic-clonic seizures and absence 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).
Absence seizures almost always start between ages 4 and 12 years. Rarely do they begin after age 20. Absence seizures are characterized by a brief impairment of consciousness, which usually lasts no more than a few seconds. The child, whether sitting or standing, simply stares vacantly; neither speaking nor apparently hearing what is said. Then, as abruptly as it began, the impairment lifts and the child continues with his or her previous activity.
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