Synonyms
Petit mal seizure; Psychomotor seizures
Definition
An absence (usually pronounced with a French accent as “ab-SAWNS”) seizure is a type of generalized seizure caused by a large burst of electrical discharges that begins in broad, bilaterally distributed networks simultaneously as opposed to a complex partial seizure (focal seizure with altered awareness/responsiveness).Footnote 1During an absence seizure, the patient will lose interaction with the environment, stare blankly (“zone out”), and perhaps blink the eyes (eyelid myoclonia) or have sudden jerks (myoclonic absence). There is no true loss of consciousness or motor functions. The seizure is typically short in duration (only several seconds), and patients often resume their ongoing activity without realizing even that they had a seizure (but will be amnestic for anything occurring during the episode). There are no postictal problems after the end of the seizure. Although no first aid is required, the patient should be...
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Notes
- 1.
The International League Against Epilepsy suggested new terminology for seizure types (Berg et al. 2010). These new terms have not yet been fully adopted but are given in parentheses.
References and Readings
Berg, A. T., Berkovic, S. F., Brodie, M. J., Buchhalter, J., Cross, J. H., van Emde, B. W., Engel, J., French, J., Glauser, T. A., Mathern, G. W., Moshe, S. L., Nordli, D., Plouin, P., & Scheffer, I. E. (2010). Revised terminology and concepts for organization of seizures and epilepsies: Report of the ILAE Commission on Classification and Terminology, 2005–2009. Epilepsia, 51(4), 676–685.
Wyllie, E. (Ed.). (2015). Wyllie’s treatment of epilepsy: Principles and practice (6th ed.). New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
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Perrine, K.R. (2018). Absence Seizure. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1038
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1038
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