Absence Seizure
Alternate Names : Petit Mal Seizure
Seizures are caused by sudden, large discharges of electrical impulses from brain cells. Absence seizures were formerly called petit mal seizures. The person briefly loses awareness of his or her environment.
What is going on in the body?
Neurons are the nerve cells within the brain. They coordinate movement, thinking, personality, and sensory activities. Neurons communicate with each other through electrical discharges. A seizure occurs when excitable neurons give off abnormal electrical discharges. There are different types of seizures, depending on where the excitable neurons are located. Epilepsy is diagnosed when an individual has a repeating pattern of seizures.
Seizures are divided into two main types: generalized and partial. Generalized epilepsy affects the entire brain. The person loses consciousness or awareness of the environment. Partial epilepsy affects only one part of the brain. The individual usually doesn't lose consciousness. Absence seizures are a generalized type of seizure.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
Absence seizures may be caused by many diseases and conditions. Some of the diseases that can cause them are as follows:
brain tumors
congenital diseases or conditions
hereditary diseases
infections involving the brain, including encephalitis and bacterial meningitis
stroke
transient ischemic attack, which is also called a mini-stroke
Certain conditions that can cause seizures include:
abnormalities in the blood vessels of the brain
chromosomal abnormalities
craniotomy, which is brain surgery
head injury
injury during birth or in the uterus
|
