Community Forum Archive

The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.

Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised

Sun, 03/25/2007 - 03:04

It has been said repeatedly that there are over 40 different types of seizures with more or less only the most 'popular' listed. Let's see if we can locate the ones that aren't. These types of seizures affect someone and I feel need to be noted. I'm curious to see how many can be located. Anyone interested in helping me find them, please list what you find here along with their description. Thank you! Take care and have a good day! -Spiz This thread is a revision of the first one in order to make changes and additions.

A Note from epilepsy.com's Editors (August 2017)

This forum post was originally created in 2007. Over the years, many of the links provided in the comments have expired or may not have been updated. To find reliable, expert-verified information, visit the following sections of this site:

In late 2016, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) approved a new way of organizing seizures that reflects recent advances in our understanding of the brain and seizures. This new system will make diagnosis and classification of seizures easier and more accurate. Learn more here.

These terms don’t change what occurs during a seizure, but offer a different way of naming seizures. More accurate ways of naming seizures can lead to more appropriate treatment.

We also want to take this opportunity to remind site visitors...

Comments

Re: Re: Partial Epilepsies :Partial

Submitted by spiz on Sun, 2007-04-01 - 03:20
Angelman Syndrome :AS is characterised by intellectual and developmental delay, speech impediment, sleep disturbance, unstable jerky gait, seizures, hand flapping movements, frequent laughter/smiling and usually a happy demeanour... Generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) :is a syndromic autosomal dominant disorder where afflicted individuals can exhibit numerous epilepsy phenotypes.There are at least five types of GEFS+... Rasmussen's Encephalitis :also Chronic Focal Encephalitis (CFE), is a rare, progressive neurological disorder, characterized by frequent and severe seizures, loss of motor skills and speech, hemiparesis (paralysis on one side of the body)... Batten Disease :A rare, fatal, inherited disease of the nervous system (neurodegenerative disorder) that begins in childhood.Early symptoms of this disorder usually appear between the ages of 5 and 10, when parents or physicians may notice that a child has begun to develop vision problems or seizures. Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) :an immune mediated disease of brain. Major symptoms are fever, headache, drowsiness, seizures and coma... Aicardi Syndrome :a congenital disorder thought to result from an abnormality of the X chromosome and characterized by absence of the corpus callosum, retinal abnormalities, and seizures (often infantile spasms). It is X-linked dominant... Alpers' Disease :also called progressive infantile poliodystrophy, is a progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system that occurs in infants and children.First signs of the disease, which include intractable seizures ... Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC) :A rare genetic disease which causes intermittent paralysis and progressive mental retardation starting in childhood. The severe form is indicated by the usual paralysis, mental impairment, gait and balance impairment, excessive sweating, and changes in body temperature. Seizures and movement disorders can also be present...

Re: Re: Re: Partial Epilepsies :Partial

Submitted by spiz on Sun, 2007-04-01 - 03:46
Pattern - Sensitive Epilepsies (Reflex) :Seizures are produced by particular visual patterns. These triggers may consist of circles, stripes, or other patterns, usually of high contrast. Oscillating or moving patterns are more highly epileptogenic... Scotosensitive Seizures (Reflex) :Seizures produced by a reduction in light intensity... Fixation-Off Seizures (Reflex) :Seizures produced by the removal of visual fixation... Musicogenic Seizures (Reflex) :The term for a condition in which seizures are produced by tones or music... Primary Reading Epilepsy (Reflex) :In individuals with this condition, reading induces seizures. Jaw jerks typically occur... Seizures Induced By Thinking (Reflex) :Cognitive processes have been reported to induce seizures in susceptible persons. Initially described during the performance of mathematical calculations... Eating Epilepsy (Reflex) :Seizures may occur at the sight or smell of food, at the beginning of eating a meal, or postprandially...

Re: Re: Re: Re: Partial Epilepsies :Partial

Submitted by spiz on Mon, 2007-04-02 - 05:17
Alice In Wonderland Syndrome (Micropsia) :People with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (or AIWS) feel that their body is changing, because of migraines and headaches. They don't just see themselves changing in size, though, but they also see other people, animals and objects look larger or smaller than they actually are. They can also feel that their hearing and sense of touch have changed. Like what happens to Alice in the beginning of the book, some people with epilepsy who also have AIWS can feel like they are falling down a hole... Musigenic Seizures :Musicogenic seizures are a reflex epilepsy triggered by certain types of music or even specific frequencies of pitch for which the person's brain has a low threshold or tolerance. These sounds trigger focal epileptiform EEG discharges in cerebral areas... Brain Abscess :The most frequent presenting symptoms are headache, drowsiness, confusion, seizures, hemiparesis or speech difficulties together with fever with a rapidly progressive course... Brain Shiver :"Brain shivers" are said to defy description for whomever has not experienced them, but the most common themes are of a sudden "jolt", likened to an electric shock, apparently occurring or originating in the brain itself, with associated disorientation for a few seconds. It is sometimes accompanied by brief tinnitus and vertigo like feelings. Immediately following this shock is a light-headedness which may last for up to ten seconds. Another description is that it is like a bug zapper in stereo traveling back and forth across the back of the head, accompanied by a taste of aluminum foil in the mouth. It is thought to be a form of neuro-epileptiform activity... Cerebellar Hypoplasia :Cerebellar hypoplasia is a developmental disorder characterized by the incomplete or underdevelopment of the cerebellum. It may be genetic or occur sporadically. Cerebellar hypoplasia may be caused by thyroid abnormalities, environmental influences such as drugs and chemicals or viral infections or stroke. In infancy, symptoms may include developmental delay, hypotonia, ataxia, seizures, mental retardation and involuntary eye movements (nystagmus)... Alien Hand Syndrome :(anarchic hand or Dr. Strangelove syndrome) is an unusual neurological disorder, a form of apraxia in which one of the sufferer's hands seems to take on a mind of its own. AHS is best documented in cases where a person has had the two hemispheres of his brain surgically separated, a procedure sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of extreme cases of epilepsy. It also occurs in some cases after other brain surgery, strokes, or infections... Encephalitis :Patients with encephalitis suffer from fever, headache, photophobia. The patients could also suffer from weakness, seizure, and less commonly, stiffness of the neck... Episodic Ataxia :(EA) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by sporadic bouts of ataxia (severe discoordination) with or without myokymia (continuous muscle movement). Typically, episodic ataxia presents as bouts of ataxia induced by startle, stress, or exertion. Some patients also have continuous tremors of various motor groups, known as myokymia. Other patients have nystagmus, vertigo, tinnitus, diplopia or seizures... Familial Hemiplegic Migraine :an autosomal dominant classical migraine subtype that typically includes hemiparesis (weakness of half the body) during the aura phase. It can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as ataxia, coma and epileptic seizures... Granulomatous Amoebic Encephalitis :a central nervous system disease caused by certain species of amoeba, especially Balamuthia mandrillaris. GAE can present with: focal paralysis, seizures, brainstem symptoms, and other neruological problems...

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.