Seizures

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Specifics
• Genetics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Seizures are symptoms of a brain problem. They happen because of sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain. When people think of seizures, they often think of convulsions in which a person's body shakes rapidly and uncontrollably. Not all seizures cause convulsions. There are many types of seizures and some have mild symptoms. Seizures fall into two main groups. Focal seizures, also called partial seizures, happen in just one part of the brain. Generalized seizures are a result of abnormal activity on both sides of the brain.

Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and do not cause lasting harm. However, it is a medical emergency if seizures last longer than 5 minutes or if a person has many seizures and does not wake up between them. Seizures can have many causes, including medicines, high fevers, head injuries and certain diseases. People who have recurring seizures due to a brain disorder have epilepsy.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

• The Epilepsies and Seizures: Hope Through Research (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Computed Tomography (CT) -- Head (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• EEG (Electroencephalogram) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Treatments and Therapies

• Convulsions - first aid - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Seizure First Aid (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Absence Seizure (Petit Mal Seizure) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Frontal Lobe Seizures (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Grand Mal Seizure (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Temporal Lobe Seizure (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Todd's Paralysis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: 15q13.3 microdeletion (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: ataxia neuropathy spectrum (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: benign familial neonatal seizures (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: childhood absence epilepsy (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: familial focal epilepsy with variable foci (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: malignant migrating partial seizures of infancy (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: molybdenum cofactor deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: myoclonic epilepsy myopathy sensory ataxia (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Seizures (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Testicular mixed germ cell tumor presenting with seizure as the initial...
• Article: ECS Dynamism and Its Influence on Neuronal Excitability and Seizures.
• Article: Patient-Friendly Summary of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria: Seizures-Child.
• Seizures -- see more articles
• Epileptic seizures -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Find a Doctor (American Epilepsy Society)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

• Febrile Seizures (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
• Infantile Spasms (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Ohtahara Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Seizures (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Absence seizure (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• EEG (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Epilepsy or seizures - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Febrile seizures (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Partial (focal) seizure (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Seizures (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish