While seizures may look and feel different, there are basically two major groups of seizures – partial and generalized types of seizures.

Partial seizures

These seizures start in one area of the brain. What happens during a seizure may vary, depending on the area of the brain involved. Partial seizures can affect a person’s awareness or consciousness, perceptions, thinking or other cognitive functions, sensation, movement, or other bodily functions. Partial seizures can be separated into different types, depending on whether consciousness is impaired.

Generalized Seizures

Seizures in this group affect the whole brain from the beginning. Different behaviors may be seen during this type of seizure, depending on how much of the brain is involved. There are many different forms of generalized seizures; the most common ones are tonic clonic ( also called 'grand mal) and absence (also called 'petit mal').

• Tonic Clonic Seizures

Continue to Tonic Clonic Seizures

Topic Editor: Steven C. Schachter, MD and Patricia O. Shafer, RN, MN.
Last Reviewed:5/25/07

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