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Partial (focal) seizure
Focal seizure; Jacksonian seizure; Seizure - partial (focal); Temporal lobe seizure; Epilepsy - partial seizures
All seizures are caused by abnormal electrical disturbances in the brain. Partial (focal) seizures occur when this electrical activity remains in a limited area of the brain. The seizures can sometimes turn into generalized seizures , which affect the whole brain. This is called secondary generalization.
Generalized seizures
Generalized tonic-clonic seizure is 1 type of seizure that involves the entire body. It is also called grand mal seizure. The terms seizure, convul...
Partial seizures can be divided into:
- Simple, not affecting awareness or memory
- Complex, affecting awareness or memory of events before, during, and immediately after the seizure, and affecting behavior
Causes
Partial seizures are the most common type of seizure in people 1 year and older. In people older than 65 who have blood vessel disease of the brain or brain tumors, partial seizures are very common.
Symptoms
People with complex partial seizures may or may not remember any or all of the symptoms or events during the seizure.
Depending on where in the brain the seizure starts, symptoms can include:
-
Abnormal
muscle contraction
, such as abnormal head movements
Muscle contraction
Muscle cramps are when a muscle gets tight (contracts) without you trying to tighten it, and it does not relax. Cramps may involve all or part of on...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Staring spells, sometimes with repetitive movements such as picking at clothes or lip smacking
- Eyes moving from side to side
-
Abnormal sensations
, such as
numbness
,
tingling
, crawling sensation (like ants crawling on the skin)
Abnormal sensations
Numbness and tingling are abnormal sensations that can occur anywhere in your body, but they are often felt in your fingers, hands, feet, arms, or le...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark ArticleNumbness
Numbness and tingling are abnormal sensations that can occur anywhere in your body, but they are often felt in your fingers, hands, feet, arms, or le...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark ArticleTingling
Numbness and tingling are abnormal sensations that can occur anywhere in your body, but they are often felt in your fingers, hands, feet, arms, or le...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article -
Hallucinations
, seeing, smelling, or sometimes hearing things that are not there
Hallucinations
Hallucinations involve sensing things such as visions, sounds, or smells that seem real but are not. These things are created by the mind.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Abdominal pain or discomfort
- Nausea
- Sweating
-
Flushed face
Flushed face
Skin blushing or flushing is a sudden reddening of the face, neck, or upper chest.
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Dilated pupils
-
Rapid heart rate/pulse
Rapid heart rate/pulse
A bounding pulse is a strong throbbing felt over one of the arteries in the body. It is due to a forceful heartbeat.
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article
Other symptoms may include:
- Blackout spells, periods of time lost from memory
-
Changes in vision
Changes in vision
There are many types of eye problems and vision disturbances, such as: HalosBlurred vision (the loss of sharpness of vision and the inability to see ...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Sensation of déjà vu (feeling like current place and time have been experienced before)
-
Changes in mood
or emotion
Changes in mood
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...
ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article - Temporary inability to speak
Exams and Tests
The doctor will perform a physical exam. This will include a detailed look at the brain and nervous system.
An EEG (electroencephalogram) will be done to check the electrical activity in the brain. People with seizures often have abnormal electrical activity seen on this test. In some cases, the test shows the area in the brain where the seizures start. The brain may appear normal after a seizure or between seizures.
EEG (electroencephalogram)
An electroencephalogram is a test to measure the electrical activity of the brain.
Blood tests may also be ordered to check for other health problems that may be causing the seizures.
Head CT or MRI scan may be done to find the cause and location of the problem in the brain.
CT
A head computed tomography (CT) scan uses many x-rays to create pictures of the head, including the skull, brain, eye sockets, and sinuses.
MRI
A head MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the brain and surrounding...
Treatment
Treatment for partial focal seizures includes medicines, changes in lifestyle for adults and children , such as activity and diet, and sometimes surgery. Your doctor can tell you more about these options.
Treatment
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. Seizures are episodes of uncontrolled and abnormal firing of brain c...
Adults
You have epilepsy. People with epilepsy have seizures. A seizure is a sudden brief change in the electrical and chemical activity in the brain. Th...
References
Abou-Khalil BW, Gallagher MJ, Macdonald RL. Epilepsies. In: Daroff RB, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SK, eds. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice . 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 101.
Wiebe S. The epilepsies. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine . 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 403.
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Central nervous system - illustration
The central nervous system is comprised of the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes all peripheral nerves.
Central nervous system
illustration
Review Date: 2/27/2016
Reviewed By: Amit M. Shelat, DO, FACP, Attending Neurologist and Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, SUNY Stony Brook, School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
