In a complex focal seizure, the person has a change in or loss of consciousness. His or her consciousness may be altered, producing a dreamlike experience. People having a complex focal seizure may display strange, repetitious behaviors such as blinks, twitches, mouth movements, or even walking in a circle. These repetitious movements are called automatisms. More complicated actions, which may seem purposeful, can also occur involuntarily. Patients may also continue activities they started before the seizure began, such as washing dishes in a repetitive, unproductive fashion. These seizures usually last just a few seconds.

 

Some people with focal seizures, especially complex focal seizures, may experience auras -- unusual sensations that warn of an impending seizure. These auras are actually simple focal seizures in which the person maintains consciousness. The symptoms an individual person has, and the progression of those symptoms, tend to be stereotyped, or similar every time.

 

The symptoms of focal seizures can easily be confused with other disorders. For instance, the dreamlike perceptions associated with a complex focal seizure may be misdiagnosed as migraine headaches, which also may cause a dreamlike state. The strange behavior and sensations caused by focal seizures also can be taken for symptoms of narcolepsy, fainting, or even mental illness. It may take many tests and careful monitoring by an experienced physician to tell the difference between epilepsy and other disorders.

 

Generalized Seizures

Generalized seizures are a result of abnormal neuronal activity on both sides of the brain. These seizures may cause loss of consciousness, falls, or massive muscle spasms.

 

There are many types of generalized seizures, including:

 

In absence seizures, the person may appear to be staring into space or have jerking or twitching muscles. These seizures are sometimes referred to as petit mal seizures, which is an older term.

 

Tonic seizures cause stiffening of muscles of the body, generally those in the back, legs, and arms.

 

Clonic seizures cause repeated jerking movements of muscles on both sides of the body.

 

Myoclonic seizures cause jerks or twitches of the upper body, arms, or legs.

 

Atonic seizures cause a loss of normal muscle tone. The affected person will fall down or may drop his or her head involuntarily.

 

Tonic-clonic seizures cause a variety of symptoms, including stiffening of the body and repeated jerks of the arms and legs as well as loss of consciousness. Tonic-clonic seizures are sometimes referred to with an older term: grand mal seizures.