Epilepsy Seizure Disorders

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes recurring, unprovoked seizures. Your doctor may diagnose you with epilepsy if you have two unprovoked seizures or one unprovoked seizure with a high risk of more. Not all seizures are the result of epilepsy. Seizures may relate to a brain injury or a family trait, but often the cause is completely unknown. 

The word “epilepsy” simply means the same thing as “seizure disorders.” It does not state anything about the cause of the person’s seizures or their severity.

Generalized Onset Seizures

These seizures affect both sides of the brain or groups of cells on both sides of the brain at the same time

1. Tonic-clonic – also called a convulsion) is what most people think of when they hear the word “seizure.” 
2. Absence – absence seizure causes a short period of “blanking out” or staring into space.
3. Atonic muscle “tone” is the muscle’s normal tension. “Atonic” (a-TON-ik) means “without tone.” So in an atonic seizure, muscles suddenly become limp.
4. Plus many more

Focal Onset Seizures

The term focal is used instead of partial to be more accurate when talking about where seizures begin. Focal seizures can start in one area or group of cells in one side of the brain.

1. Focal onset aware seizure – a person is awake and aware during the seizure.
2. Focal onset impaired awareness – a person is confused or their awareness is affected in some way 

Unknown Onset Seizures

When the beginning of a seizure is not known, it’s now called an unknown onset seizure.

Information from Epilepsy Foundation