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Petit mal seizure
Alternative Names: Seizure - petit mal; Absence seizure; Seizure - absence Symptoms: TYPICAL Muscle activity changes No movement Hand fumbling Fluttering eyelids Lip smacking Chewing Consciousness changes Staring episodes (unintentional) Lack of awareness of surroundings Sudden halt in conscious activity (movement, talking, etc.) May be provoked by hyperventilation or flashing lights, in some cases Abrupt beginning of seizure Each seizure lasts no more than a few seconds Full recovery of consciousness, no confusion No memory of seizure ATYPICAL Atonic seizure No muscle movement Slumping, loss of posture Loss of muscle tone Falling down Consciousness changes Unintentional staring Lack of awareness of surroundings Sudden stop of conscious activity (movement, talking, etc.) Hand fumbling Fluttering eyelids May be provoked by hyperventilation, in some cases May have slower, gradual beginning of seizure Each lasts only seconds to minutes Recovery may be slower May have short period of confusion or bizarre behavior No memory of seizure Note: Unexplained difficulties in school and learning difficulties may be the first indication of petit mal seizures. Text Continues Below Signs and tests: The physical examination is usually normal, although some neurologic abnormalities may be present in some patients. Transmission of information from nerve cell to nerve cell occurs by an electrochemical process that can be detected as electrical activity by an electroencephalograph (EEG). A single or multiple EEG exams may be necessary to show changes typical of petit mal seizures. Occasionally, a patient may need to have EEG monitoring from 1 to several days to detect these EEG changes. Page:  1 | 2 | Next >>