Partial Seizures In High-Income Countries

(The Epilepsy of Central Florida) The degree of brain damage depends on the amount and duration of the shaking and the force involved in impact of the head.

Partial seizures occur when the electrical activity remains in a limited area of the brain. They account for 40% of childhood seizures, consciousness may be intact or slightly impaired. Partial seizures can be categorized as either simple when they are not affecting awareness or memory, or complex when they are affecting awareness or memory of the events before, during, and immediately after the seizure, as well as behavior. Classic symptoms of a simple partial seizure include jerking, muscle rigidity, spasms, head-turning, unusual sensations affecting either vision, hearing, smell, taste or touch, memory or emotional disturbances. Symptoms of a complex partial seizure include lip smacking, hewing, fidgeting, repetitive, involuntary but

Epilepsy has many disadvantages, although there is no age limit when someone has Epilepsy. Epilepsy doesn’t have a huge effect on people’s

The brain is the most important organ in the body. It controls the thoughts and actions of humans. The brain is located within the skull, creating the idea that it is safe from any for of injury. This unfortunately is not the case. Concussions are defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “A mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head.” In 2010 alone almost 2.5 million emergency room visits were for concussions or other forms of traumatic brain injury associated with it, forty percent of these injuries were sustained from falling accidents; while others were caused by motor vehicle accidents, being struck by an obstacle and assault.

Types of seizures vary in intensity and effect. Some seizures are hardly noticeable, while others incapacitate the patient. Mild seizures, which can last for a few seconds, do not involve a loss of consciousness, but may change emotions or the way things look, feel, smell, taste, or sound. They may also involve involuntary twitching of an extremity, a leg or arm, and dizziness, a tingling sensation, or flashing lights. More severe seizures can last for a few minutes and involve a loss of awareness or consciousness. Other symptoms include repetitive movement, such as hand rubbing, chewing, blinking, staring, or walking in circles. With tonic-clonic seizures, also known as grand mal seizures, the body initially stiffens briefly, then begins to convulse. The teeth will clench sometimes biting the tongue, causing bleeding from the mouth. There may also be increased salivation causing foaming at the mouth. Additionally, a loss of control of bladder or bowel functions may occur. An epilepsy patient will typically have the same type of seizure, whether mild or severe, so symptoms will be similar from episode to

Farrow (2004) explains that “A traumatic brain injury is caused by a blow to the head, face, or neck area…” (p.53). It is an injury to the brain that causes an immediate change in brain function, which includes a loss of consciousness (Levy, 1993). You do not have to be knocked unconscious in order to sustain a traumatic brain injury (The Franklin Institute, 2004). The term traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to injuries to the brain that are caused by some form of traumatic impact. A blow to the head, violent shaking or penetration of the brain tissue usually causes traumatic brain injuries. This is due to sudden, non-congenital physical damage to the brain from an external force that temporarily or permanently disrupts normal brain function. Brain characteristics and functions that can be affected include consciousness, speech and language, memory, mobility, personality and others. Depending on the cause and severity of the brain injury, brain damage can be mild, moderate or severe. In more serious cases , complications can be fatal. While the severity of traumatic brain injuries varies, the long-term affects are often devastating and life altering. Because the brain controls all bodily functions, any damage to the brain, regardless of severity, can impair physical and psychological activity (Rehberg,

How attention was brought to epilepsy. First, 2.3 million people have epilepsy in America and one in twenty-six people can get epilepsy in their lifetime (“Facts”). The future of research for seizure disorders are focused on brain imaging. Epilepsy can run in the family, can cause head injuries, alcohol abuse (“Multiple”), and driving can be dangerous (Haugen 22).

Results indicated that the primary cause of traumatic brain injuries in adolescents between the ages of 14 to 19 were motor vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, approximately 40% of adolescents diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury admitted into a hospital will decease. Alternatively, the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries in ages 10-13 was falls. Approximately 71% of inpatient care for traumatic brain injuries were for males younger than 17 years of age. A consideration for all age groups is that although a cranial injury due to firearms occurred the least out of all categories, this injury caused the highest rate of

Seizures are classified into two broad categories primarily generalized and partial seizures. A generalized seizure is characterized by loss of consciousness. There are several sub types of generalized seizure. The first is an absence seizure, this usually consist of brief spells of staring. This type of generalized seizure usually begins in early childhood and diminishes as the child grows older. However, absence seizures may continue until adulthood in some individuals (McKean, 2012). Next, myoclonic seizures are characterized by quick jerking movements. Atonic seizures display a sudden loss of tone and individuals frequently experience injuries related to falls. Generalized tonic clonic seizures display a tonic extension of extremities followed by clonic jerking. There can be variations of this type of seizure activity demonstrating either more tonic motion or clonic (McKean, 2012). Partial seizures initiate when there is an abnormal firing of neurons within the cerebral cortex. This area within the cerebral cortex dictates the symptoms of the seizure activity. A partial seizure can develop into a general seizure if both hemispheres are involved (McKean, 2012). Partial seizures are subdivided into simple and complex. In a complex partial seizure, the individual loses conciseness and has symptoms like lip smacking, staring, picking at clothes, walking around aimlessly. In a simple partial seizure the individual is awake and aware of the episode. The individual may

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is alterations of the brain function and brain pathology caused by an external force (LeBorgne, 2013). The two types of TBI are open and closed injuries (LeBorgne, 2013). Open injuries results from a penetration of the skull (LeBorgne, 2013). Closed injuries or no penetrating causes damage at the point of impact (LeBorgne, 2013). Closed head injuries include, but are not limited to concussion, contusion, and second impact syndrome (LeBorgne, 2013). A closed head injury involves edema, and an increase in intracranial pressure that causes further injury (LeBorgne, 2013). Between 2002 and 2006 falls were the leading cause of TBI among all age groups in the United States, followed by motor vehicular accidents, strike against an object and assaults (Powell, 2014). Falls related to the greatest amount of emergency department visits and hospitalization, compared to motor vehicular accidents that were the leading cause of death (Powell, 2014).

Seizures may arise at any stage of age, but certain periods of life present a higher risk for their emergence. The frequency of seizures in the epileptic population varies widely. Some epileptic experiences only two seizures in a lifetime, and other may suffer 100 of attacks daily. Approximately 25 percent of epileptic experience seizures that are uncontrolled by current forms of

A seizure is caused by a sudden burst of abnormal electrical and chemical activity in the brain. This activity temporarily interrupts normal brain function.

Pediatric epilepsy is a common condition in the United States. Around 326,000 children experience epilepsy under the age of 15, and there are around 200,000 new diagnoses yearly (“What Happens during a Seizure”, 2014). The age of onset can begin as early as infancy and is most common during childhood. In some cases, there is no specific cause for epilepsy. However, the most common cause is a birth defect or developmental disorder. Those that have experienced head trauma, brain infections, or a minor brain injury can also lead to seizures, or epilepsy. The developing brain is more prone to seizures therefor there is a higher incidence in the pediatric population (“Pediatric Epilepsy & Seizures”, 2016).

Epilepsy is not what you think. It is a complicated disease, a disease that doesn't just affect one type of person or age. Over fifty million men, women, and children cope with this disease daily. Epilepsy is a mysterious disease to those who are unfamiliar and uneducated about the disease. Many people have preconceived notions about Epileptics. Researching the topic thoroughly, the five preconceived notions I explored have been proven to be false.

Absence seizures, rare in adults, are characterized by a sudden, momentary loss or impairment of consciousness. Overt symptoms are often as slight as an upward staring of the eyes, a staggering gait, or a twitching of the facial muscles. No aura occurs and the person often resumes activity without realizing that the seizure has occurred.