Neuropsychological Background: GTC Epilepsy

Epilepsy. In epilepsy, the grand mal seizure often begins with a sudden loss of consciousness and fall to the ground. The initial motor signs are a brief flexion of the trunk, an opening of the mouth and eyelids, and upward deviation of the eyes. The arms are elevated and abducted, the elbows semiflexed, and the hands pronated. These are followed by a more protracted extension phase, involving first the back and neck, then the arms and legs. There may be piercing cry as the whole musculature is seized in a spasm and air is forcibly emitted through the closed vocal cords. Since the respiratory muscles are caught up in the tonic spasm, breathing is suspended, and after some seconds, the skin and mucous membranes become cyanotic. The pupils are

Caden obtained a FSIQ score of 110, which is within the Average to High Average range of intellectual functioning. Caden’s overall thinking and reasoning abilities as measured on the WISC-V exceed those of approximately 75 percentage of children in the representative sample (FSIQ = 110; 95% confidence interval = 104-115). However, closer examination of Caden’s performance on the five indexes of the instrument reflects a significant degree of variability and, as a result, GAI will be used for better interpretation.

The Glascow Scale (GCS) is a common tool used to determine brain injury. The GCS can be used to measure the severity of a TBI. The test is simple, reliable, and shows outcome following severe brain injury (Tsdale, Jennett. 1974).

Specialists group seizures into two categories and several subtypes based on the pattern of the attack. Generalized seizures come about due to abnormal neuronal activity on both sides of the brain, while focal seizures, also named partial seizures, occur in only one part of the brain (seizures, 2007).

Generalized seizure is a type of seizure that starts in one area of the brain and spreads to other hemispheres. Drug that can be use is Carbamazepine. Tonic-clonic seizure is a type of seizure that exhibit repeated jerking motion and fainting. Drug that can be use is ethotoin (Peganone). Absence seizure is s type of seizure that consists of spontaneous loss of consciousness, and individual exhibit blinking or staring for a few seconds. Drug that can be use is valproic acid. Partial seizure is a type of seizure that consists of one area of the brain with no additional effects of other part of the brain. Drug that can be use is phenytoin (Dilantin). Status epilepticus is s type of seizure that reoccurs often and rapidly. Drug that can be use is diazepam (Karch, 2013, pg. 379).

Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder: All actions and functions travel to the different parts of the brain much like electrical wiring. The “electricity” moves from one area or wired circuit through another by jumping and traveling from area to area much like electricity Due to abnormal electricity and “jumping” seizures can occur. Epilepsy is where these electoral abnormalities are reoccurring often causing many seizures. The Tonic-Clonic or Grand Mal seizures that CM has is from muscles tightening and relaxing very fast due to the abnormal jumping of electricity in the brain. P. 417

Seizures or epilepsy are brain disorders where the person has repeated convulsions over a period of time. They’re episodes of disturbed brain activity that cause changes in attention and behavior. Seizures are considered the most common observed neurological dysfunction in children. They are very sudden intermittent episodes of altered consciousness lasting seconds to minutes and include involuntary tonic (stiffening of muscles) and clonic (altering contraction and relaxation of muscles) movements.

However, his mother discovered by chance, that when David talks to them on the phone he recognizes her voice and has an emotional response. Dr. Ramachandran states that the answer to this is another pathway that leads to the auditory cortex to the amygdala. This pathway suffered no damage from his accident. Because of this David has no delusions when conversing over the phone with his parents.

Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) is a major health concern, constituting up to one third of epilepsies (1). They are determined by genetics and affects people of all sexes and races. Many IGEs are lifelong, and have an onset during childhood or adolescence (1). One drug that is used to treat IGEs is the barbiturate, phenobarbital (2). This medication is one of the oldest available antiepileptics, and is low cost and effective (2). However, there are some serious side effects of the drug which include somnolence, neuralgic pain, hyperactivity, hypotension, respiratory depression and impairment of fine motor skills (3).

(Fenichel, 2005). Berg et al. found that the level of mental capability was strongly related to etiology and type of pediatric epilepsy and the age of onset of seizures. In their particular study, they divided their population into two groups, children in whom seizures began when they were younger than 5 years of age and children in whom seizures began when they were 5 years of age or older, and concluded the group of children with a younger age of onset of seizures were more likely to have some mental impairment (Berg et al., 2008). A Western Norwegian study reported that, for some types of types of epilepsy, females were more likely to have idiopathic forms while males had a higher frequency of cryptogenic and symptomatic forms. The researchers, however, were unable to make any inferences about the reason for this gender difference (Waaler, Blom, Skeidsvoll, & Mykletum, 2000).

In order to determine whether THIC was an appropriate measure for assessing IQ, we need to establish first the congruence with guidelines of The British Psychological Society (BPS, 2009). The THIC yields no result when researching the approved Registered Tests database, therefore illustrates cearly that it was not a relevant test to administer. Furthermore, when considering using THIC, a specific test used

Seizures are groups of neurons that discharge which lead to excessive excitation or loss of inhibition of those neurons. The cause of seizures is thought of as malfunction of ion channels. The repeated electrical activity from seizures damages brain cells. Epilepsy is defined as “a condition characterized by two or more recurrent epileptic seizures over a period longer than 24 hours, unprovoked by an immediate identified cause” (Bharucha et al, 1997). Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a repeated occurrence of epileptic seizures occurring in the temporal lobe. TLE is the most common type of epilepsy seen in 60% of patients (Wass et al, 1996). TLE is seen in two types; one including the medial structures of the temporal and the second including

Epilepsy is a brain disorder classified as a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s electrical and immoderate activity which causes a person to have a seizure. This brain disorder goes back thousands of years to Ancient Greece where these individuals believed that people had seizures, they were being visited by an evil spirit or demon. The word Epilepsy also derives from the ancient Greek word attack. Ancient Greeks also thought that this neurological disorder, Epilepsy, was infectious and for this same matter most of the people that suffered from this disorder lived alone. Now in present day, researchers and scientist know that this is not true and they now know the real factors and things that cause these seizures to occur.

Epilepsy Research Paper People most often associate violent twitching, falling to the floor and drooling with epilepsy. However the described event is only one kind of an epileptic seizure, which is called a tonic-clonic seizure. There are many other kinds of seizures, and each has different sets of signs and symptoms. During generalized seizures the whole brain is affected and the initial symptom is loss of consciousness. This category includes such seizures as absence seizure, myoclonic seizure, and atonic attack.

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) is a psychological test administered individually as a measure of cognitive ability for people in the age range of 16 to 90 years of age (Climie & Rostad, pp. 581-586, 2011). The administration of this assessment may be performed by trained technicians, however, the Administration and Scoring Manual states that it is imperative that all interpretation should be done by professionals to which have adequate training in and experience with standardized clinical instruments (Wechsler, 2008). The WAIS-IV was published by Pearson in 2008, and was meant to provide comprehensive and modified developmental norms, improve psychometric properties and clinical usefulness, and improve the easiness