| grand mal seizure | A type of seizure that results in loss of consciousness, generalised muscle contractions, urinary incontinence, tongue biting and a post-ictal state (confusion and lethargy) following cessation of the seizure. Also referred to as a grand-mal seizure. See: epilepsy. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| petit mal seizure | An absence seizure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| minor motor seizure | Old term for nonconvulsive seizure seen in patients with secondary generalised epilepsies. (05 Mar 2000) |
| clonic seizure | A seizure characterised by repetitive rhythmical jerking of all or part of the body. (05 Mar 2000) |
| CO2-withdrawal seizure test | Utilization of hyperventilation to demonstrate abnormalities in the brain waves or even to precipitate a convulsion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| complex partial seizure | <neurology> Seizures with elaborate and multiple sensory, motor, and/or psychic components. A common feature is the clouding of consciousness and amnesia for the event. Some clinical manifestations may include more complex behaviours like burst of anger, emotional outbursts, fear or automatisms. The EEG often reveals spike discharges in the temporal lobe during sleep. (05 Jan 1998) |
| convulsive seizure | Seizure with clonic or tonic-clonic motor activity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| myoclonic seizure | Seizure associated with single or repetitive myoclonic jerks. (05 Mar 2000) |
| psychic seizure | A simple partial seizure characterised by an attack of psychic phenomena such as a dreamy state, deja vu, autonomic sensation or emotion; commonly, but not exclusively, associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| psychogenic seizure | A clinical spell that resembles an epileptic seizure, but is not due to epilepsy. The EEG is normal during an attack, and the behaviour is often related to psychiatric disturbance, such as a conversion disorder. (05 Mar 2000) |
| psychomotor seizure | <neurology> Seizures with elaborate and multiple sensory, motor, and/or psychic components. A common feature is the clouding of consciousness and amnesia for the event. Some clinical manifestations may include more complex behaviours like burst of anger, emotional outbursts, fear or automatisms. The EEG often reveals spike discharges in the temporal lobe during sleep. (27 Sep 1997) |
| secondarily generalised tonic-clonic seizure | A generalised tonic-clonic seizure that begins with a partial seizure and evolves into a generalised tonic-clonic seizure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| seizure | <clinical sign, neurology> A sudden attack or convulsion due to involuntary electrical activity in the brain. It is due to an uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain that can result in a wide variety of clinical manifestations such as: muscle twitches, staring, tongue biting, urination, loss of consciousness and total body shaking. Examples include: focal seizure, absence seizure, partial seizure, psychomotor seizure, petit-mal seizure and grand-mal seizures. (27 Sep 1997) |
| seizure, causes of | Known causes of seizures include head injuries, brain tumours, lead poisoning, maldevelopment of the brain, genetic and infectious illnesses. But in fully half of the patients with seizures, no cause can be found. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pyridoxine dependency with seizure | An inherited disorder (autosomal recessive) apparently associated with deficient brain type I glutamate decarboxylase; seizures can be controlled with vitamin B6. (05 Mar 2000) |