Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission of the Epilepsy Therapy Project
 
UPDATED: Tue, 06/10/2008 - 9:36am

  • Epilepsy First Aid
  • Seizure Medication
  • Videos
  • Seizure Diary
  • Find a Doctor
  • Epilepsy Centers
  • Clinical Trials
  • Event Calendar

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project

Atonic Seizures

What are they like?

Here's a typical story: "When Bob has a 'drop' seizure, he falls to the ground and often hits his head and bruises his body. Even if I'm right next to him and prepared, I may not catch him. Even with carpet in the bedroom and mats in the bathroom, he gets hurt."

How long do they last?

Less than 15 seconds.

Tell me more

Muscle "tone" is the muscle's normal tension. "Atonic" (a-TON-ik) means "without tone," so in an atonic seizure, muscles suddenly lose strength. The eyelids may droop, the head may nod, and the person may drop things and often falls to the ground. These seizures are also called "drop attacks" or "drop seizures." The person usually remains conscious.

Another name for this type of seizure is "akinetic" (a-kin-ET-ik), which means "without movement."

Who gets them?

Atonic seizures often begin in childhood.

What's the outlook?

They often last into adulthood. Many people with atonic seizures are injured when they fall, so they may choose to use protection such as a helmet.

What else could it be?

Patients who have seizures that cause them to fall when they're standing often have tonic seizures (involving sudden muscle contraction) rather than atonic seizures.

How is the diagnosis made?

Usually descriptions of the seizures by witnesses will suggest the diagnosis. Some EEG monitoring may be performed to confirm it. If the seizures persist, other tests may be used to make sure that changes in the heart rhythm or blood pressure are not causing the patient to fall down.

Topic Editor: Orrin Devinsky, M.D.
Last Reviewed:2/11/04


This content is user-generated. Content is not monitored nor consistently reviewed by the epilepsy.com Editorial Board. Epilepsy.com therefore cannot guarantee the accuracy of any content edited with the Wiki sections. While epilepsy.com, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, and its partners encourage visitor interaction and publishing within these sections, users should use caution when exploring content, especially as it pertains to health concerns. No content on epilepsy.com is intended to replace the care of a doctor. We encourage you to contact your own health care provider for individual medical advice. We cannot provide second opinions or make specific recommendations regarding therapy, nor does this Wiki content constitute a recommendation for any diagnosis or treatment options.


Atonic Seizures :Muscle "tone" is the muscle's normal tension. "Atonic" (a-TON-ik) means "without tone," so in an atonic seizure, an epileptic seizure characterized by sudden loss of muscle tone; may cause the head to drop suddenly, objects to fall from the hands, or the legs to lose strength, with falling and potential injury; usually not associated with loss of consciousness.Close muscles suddenly lose strength. The eyelids may droop, the head may nod, and the person may drop things and often falls to the ground. These seizures are also called "drop attacks" or "drop seizures." The person usually remains conscious...

Another name for this type of seizure is "akinetic" (a-kin-ET-ik), which means "without movement."

Atonic seizures frequently occur in people with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, along with absence and tonic clonic seizures.


Take Control of your seizures by starting My Epilepsy Diary today.

Keeping a daily record of your seizures can help you and your doctor better understand and treat your epilepsy.

Open my epiCom Diary


Title Posted
Why do they think I have epilepsy?  
destroyedbyadmin
View all Forums

Title Posted
TLE or PNES?  
mel239
Can taking OTC medications for cold, flu and sinus infections result in seizures?  
larryz
twitchy arm  
emzclarinet
How long do your symptoms last (if they ever even go away)  
jasssmit
Who is your personal hero?  
phylisfjohnson
Causes of Underemployment.  
Matthew Simington
Is there such a thing as PNES  
jonah
Just Looking for Some Help...  
maja99
Convulsions/Seizures after being tickled  
Juniper
New to Epilepsy.com  
djwray
View all Forums

Title Page Views
my.epilepsy.com Updates  
epi_help
topamax and weight loss  
alexia mom
kepra  
brian mattingly
Possible cure for absence seizures  
pdl1
Epilepsy and marijuana  
cjad234
Sexual Side Effects  
George R
How exactly do aura's feel  
WendyBendy
MEDICAL ALERT I.D.'s  
picnupthepcs
Over 40 Different Types Of Seizures - Revised  
spiz
electrical shock in head?  
Maggie
View all Forums

Title Posted
How enlightening  
megfrito
View all Blogs

Title Posted
same dose for 6 years possible unidentified seizures  
mash4077
Well, I know.... (Question at bottom of blog.)  
quesofresco
nightmares  
becky89
i need to vent...  
jacky99
michelle  
michelle41
Etiology of a Housebound Visionary  
tigro65
Anyone w/ temporal lobe epilepsy and not on medication?  
hazel baum
MY 1ST BLOG :)  
awalkingmiracle
I hate the hospital.  
Shenoah
Visit to a doctor - February 2010  
MichaelK
View all Blogs

Title Page Views
Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts  
Butterflygrl
my partial complex seizures  
Zanna1211
Topomax... The Dreaded.........  
Dr Jason
Brain Zaps, tics & twitches  
JudiS
side effects of phenobarb.  
pksmom
Feeling Sick  
JBJ1984
How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens?  
epl_controller
Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds  
Butterflygrl
TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES  
cmscribbles
Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures"  
teft
View all Blogs

Title Posted
Treating Depression with Epilepsy  
mypetitmal
Burm80  
burm80
WHO NEEDS A SEIZURE ALERT DOG  
MOMMY HOLLIE
surgery group  
bobby chen
Parents of Adult Children with Epilepsy  
askadis
Grandparents of grandchildren with Epilepsy  
EmiliesGrandma
neeraj clinic, rishikesh,india  
ankita gupta
Project Uplift  
tamliniscute
SEIZURE FREE  
gracie9933
EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA  
Roxanne D
View all Groups

Title Posted
Looking for answers...  
BSimons
Finding myself through the years  
starlitgemini
Too many times doing the fish!!!  
Jeffrey Resetar
My First story  
eggcoo
my beautiful 6yr old boy  
kaiden
My son has Rolandic Epilepsy  
klabiche
My mother's epilepsy  
Raymond Loh
A married man with a sick wife  
russell11
Many changes I had and continue to have.  
Its Me
SheriK  
SheriK
View all Stories

Place Your Advertisement Here
All ad revenues support the mission
of the Epilepsy Therapy Project