Epilepsy and fainting

Epilepsy and fainting
What is epilepsy?
• Basically, it is abnormal electrochemical activity in the brain that results in seizures
• Seizures can be partial or generalised
o Partial seizure can be mistaken for intoxication or daydreaming
 Involves only a part of the brain, but it can spread
 It can become a generalised seizure
 People often have no recollection of the event – if Hans had partial seizures before, he may have forgotten about them, or they may not have been noticed
o Generalised seizures involve a loss of consciousness at the beginning of the seizure
 Involves the whole brain
 Possible epilepsy types Hans may have:
• Tonic
o Brief stiffening of the muscles  the body becomes rigid  can fall to the ground
• Atonic
o Sudden loss of muscle tone  individual collapses to the ground
• HOWEVER  these attacks are likely to occur in people with severe epilepsy and multiple seizure types
• Partial seizures are most common in the elderly
o Are often unrecognised, and are thought to be due to dementia or old age
o Commonly, it is a:
 Simple partial seizure (no loss of consciousness, short-lived, can be sensory, motor, autonomic or psychological)
 Complex partial seizure (altered consciousness, vague and dream-like appearance, strange, random or repetitive behaviour)
• We would have to know a bit about Hans’ past history to determine the possibility of Hans having epilepsy
o Case history must be combined with a EEG (???)examination
Fainting can be confused with epilepsy
• Fainting = unconsciousness due to sudden decrease in blood flow to the brain
• A person can experience brief jerks, twitching or convulsive behaviour when unconscious
o Hans didn’t, so I’m not sure how applicable this is to the situation
• A good history can help to differentiate between a faint and a seizure
This didn't turn out like it did on word, so I'm sorry!