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Seizures take many forms. Before your doctor can prescribe the right treatment, he or she must figure out which type (or types) you have. That's the purpose of all the tests discussed in the Diagnosis section—not just to tell whether you have epilepsy but also to tell what kind.
There are so many kinds of seizures that neurologists who specialize in epilepsy are still updating their thinking about how to classify them. Usually, they classify seizures into two types, primary generalized seizures and partial seizures. The difference between these types is in how they begin:
Primary generalized seizures begin with a widespread electrical discharge that involves both sides of the brain at once. Hereditary factors are important in many of these seizures.
Partial seizures begin with an electrical discharge in one limited area of the brain. Some are related to head injury, brain infection, stroke, or tumor, but in most cases the cause is unknown.
One question that is used to further classify partial seizures is whether consciousness (the ability to respond and remember) is "impaired" or "preserved." The difference may seem obvious, but really there are many degrees of impairment or preservation of consciousness.
Identifying certain seizure types and other characteristics of a person's epilepsy like the age at which it begins, for instance, allows doctors to classify some cases into epilepsy syndromes. This kind of classification helps us to know how long the epilepsy will last and the best way to treat it.
Click on the names below for descriptions and details about each type:
Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, M.D.
Last Reviewed:12/15/06
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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 all of the common ones, as well as the more rare types of seizures and epilepsy. Some of the names may refer to the same type of seizure or epilepsy and whenever possible, this should be cross-referenced.
This thread was created by Spiz's curiosity to research how many types of seizures can be located. Anyone interested in helping find them, please list what you find here along with their description.
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| im confused, scared and feeling so helpless | Aug 24, 2009 | |
| groovybird | ||
| Myoclonic jerks occuring in the evening? | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| elly | ||
| Deja vu and Epilepsy | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| Mikey4 | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: what does it feel like? | Aug 7, 2009 | |
| rokchik1 | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: what does it feel like? | Aug 2, 2009 | |
| rokchik1 | ||
| OK So does anyone Know What this sounds like? | Sep 17, 2009 | |
| batgrl | ||
| Does this happen to anyone else? | Oct 10, 2009 | |
| ohbrustin | ||
| Surgery...How do you decide? | Sep 6, 2009 | |
| ValNewLife | ||
| What if you spend a week in video EEG monitoring and can't record a seizure? | Aug 6, 2009 | |
| celee | ||
| Not sure if I should bring this up with my doctor | Jul 25, 2009 | |
| patiencestj | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Have I had a seizure? Any of these symptoms familiar? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| scotchyscotch | ||
| TLE or PNES? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| mel239 | ||
| Can bacteria be related to seizures? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| larryz | ||
| Simple Partial Seizures and EEG/EKG | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| erkadrka | ||
| NyQuil | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| Eilliem | ||
| Can taking OTC medications for cold, flu and sinus infections result in seizures? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| larryz | ||
| twitchy arm | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| emzclarinet | ||
| How long do your symptoms last (if they ever even go away) | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| jasssmit | ||
| Who is your personal hero? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| phylisfjohnson | ||
| Causes of Underemployment. | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| Matthew Simington | ||
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| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| my.epilepsy.com Updates | 20,442 | |
| epi_help | ||
| topamax and weight loss | 18,960 | |
| alexia mom | ||
| kepra | 18,900 | |
| brian mattingly | ||
| Possible cure for absence seizures | 15,799 | |
| pdl1 | ||
| Epilepsy and marijuana | 15,559 | |
| cjad234 | ||
| Sexual Side Effects | 13,109 | |
| George R | ||
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| WendyBendy | ||
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| spiz | ||
| electrical shock in head? | 9,454 | |
| Maggie | ||
| View all Forums | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| A new day, a new dawn, and new questions, New complex partial seizure diagnosis | Sep 16, 2009 | |
| marc mullins | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| same dose for 6 years possible unidentified seizures | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| mash4077 | ||
| Well, I know.... (Question at bottom of blog.) | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| quesofresco | ||
| nightmares | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| becky89 | ||
| i need to vent... | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| jacky99 | ||
| michelle | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| michelle41 | ||
| Etiology of a Housebound Visionary | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| tigro65 | ||
| Anyone w/ temporal lobe epilepsy and not on medication? | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| hazel baum | ||
| MY 1ST BLOG :) | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| awalkingmiracle | ||
| I hate the hospital. | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| Shenoah | ||
| Visit to a doctor - February 2010 | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| MichaelK | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspirational Quote - My Own Personal Inner Thoughts | 8,007 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| my partial complex seizures | 3,872 | |
| Zanna1211 | ||
| Topomax... The Dreaded......... | 3,654 | |
| Dr Jason | ||
| Brain Zaps, tics & twitches | 3,473 | |
| JudiS | ||
| side effects of phenobarb. | 3,073 | |
| pksmom | ||
| Feeling Sick | 2,929 | |
| JBJ1984 | ||
| How can you tell if a sleep seizure happens? | 2,891 | |
| epl_controller | ||
| Tegretol XR and ANXIETY meds | 2,811 | |
| Butterflygrl | ||
| TYLENOL, AEDs & SEIZURES | 2,732 | |
| cmscribbles | ||
| Nonepileptic "Events" vs. "Seizures" | 2,601 | |
| teft | ||
| View all Blogs | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Treating Depression with Epilepsy | Feb 4, 2010 | |
| mypetitmal | ||
| Burm80 | Feb 1, 2010 | |
| burm80 | ||
| WHO NEEDS A SEIZURE ALERT DOG | Jan 19, 2010 | |
| MOMMY HOLLIE | ||
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| bobby chen | ||
| Parents of Adult Children with Epilepsy | Nov 22, 2009 | |
| askadis | ||
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| EmiliesGrandma | ||
| neeraj clinic, rishikesh,india | Nov 14, 2009 | |
| ankita gupta | ||
| Project Uplift | Nov 4, 2009 | |
| tamliniscute | ||
| SEIZURE FREE | Nov 3, 2009 | |
| gracie9933 | ||
| EPILEPSY SUPPORT GROUP NORTH CAROLINA | Oct 9, 2009 | |
| Roxanne D | ||
| View all Groups | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| can't remember having seizures/"cluster" seizures | Aug 27, 2009 | |
| scottO | ||
| My son Christian | Oct 21, 2009 | |
| ChristiansMom2 | ||
| View all Stories | ||
| Title | Posted | |
|---|---|---|
| Do I really have seizures? | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| Elmwoody | ||
| Looking for answers... | Feb 9, 2010 | |
| BSimons | ||
| Finding myself through the years | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| starlitgemini | ||
| Too many times doing the fish!!! | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| Jeffrey Resetar | ||
| My First story | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| eggcoo | ||
| my beautiful 6yr old boy | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| kaiden | ||
| My son has Rolandic Epilepsy | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| klabiche | ||
| My mother's epilepsy | Feb 8, 2010 | |
| Raymond Loh | ||
| A married man with a sick wife | Feb 7, 2010 | |
| russell11 | ||
| Many changes I had and continue to have. | Feb 7, 2010 | |
| Its Me | ||
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| Title | Page Views | |
|---|---|---|
| Jessica Roiz | 2,294 | |
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| snoby | ||
| Always Have On Clean Underwear | 449 | |
| crashllama | ||
| Kelly's Life With Epilepsy | 421 | |
| kjcanada1979 | ||
| my brain has died a thousand deaths........... | 401 | |
| banffgirl | ||
| What My Seizures Are Like...... | 382 | |
| javaman | ||
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| karalyeva | ||
| Temporal Lobe Epilepsy | 337 | |
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| dizzygal | ||
| View all Stories | ||
