PCL200H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Generalised Tonic-Clonic Seizure, Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Status Epilepticus
Document Summary
Seizures are brief periods of uncontrolled and excessive neuronal activity. Occur when balance of excitatory and inhibitory neuron activity shifts so that there is more excitation than inhibition. Absence seizures have a spike and wave pattern that is quite regular whereas the eeg of a tonic clonic seizure shows intense firing that is less regular. First distinction is whether the electrical activity is confined to a specific region of the brain (partial) or it spreads throughout the brain (generalized) Another distinction is whether the person is aware during the seizure or is unconscious. Third distinction is whether there is motor activation or not (convulsions or automatisms) Briefly unconscious, blank stare, no memory of attack. Spike and wave throughout entire brain (3 per second) Localized spiking in cortical or limbic areas of the brain. Conscious but non-responsive, automatisms, no memory of attack (temporal lobe epilepsy) Localized first, then spreading spiking in one or both temporal lobes.
