About Epilepsy & Seizures

Atonic Seizures
Atonic seizures cause a person to suddenly collapse, as all the muscles
in the body go limp. After 10 seconds to a minute, the person recovers, regains consciousness and can stand and walk again. This type of seizure is sometimes called a drop attack.

Myoclonic Seizures
Myoclonic seizures cause sudden, brief, massive muscle jerks that may involve the whole body, or just parts of the body. These jerks may cause a person to drop what they were holding, fall off a chair or appear to trip and fall. This is sometimes mistaken for clumsiness or poor coordination.

Partial Seizures
In partial seizures, the uncontrolled electrical activity is in only part
of the brain. There are two common types of partial seizures: simple
and complex.

Simple Partial Seizures
During a simple partial seizure a person will be fully aware and awake and may experience some or all of the following:

• Involuntary movements (muscle jerking or twitching)
• Sensory distortions (things may look, sound or feel strange)
• Emotions (feelings of fear, anxiety or anger).

Each person with simple partial seizures will have a different experience, depending on the area of the brain involved.

Complex Partial Seizures (Psychomotor/Temporal Lobe)

Complex partial seizures cause a person to become confused and disoriented. They usually last a minute or two. This type of seizure often begins with a blank stare or chewing motion, followed by random and purposeless activities, like hand-wringing, picking at clothing, mumbling or walking around. The person will be unaware of surroundings and will be unresponsive. In rare cases, a person may engage in activities that cause social distress, like taking their clothes off, screaming, running or appearing afraid. Afterward, there will be no memory of what happened during the seizure period.

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