Defining The Types of Epilepsy by: Brian E. Mac Farlane, MA.Ed.

Epilepsy  Seizures Types:

·        Absence (petit mal)--This type of seizure is most common in children. It is characterized by a blank stare lasting about half a minute; the person appears to be daydreaming. During this type of seizure, the individual is unaware of his or her surroundings.

·        Atonic (drop attack)--A childhood seizure in which the child loses consciousness for about ten seconds and usually falls to the ground because of a complete loss of muscle tone.

·        Complex partial (temporal lobe)--A blank stare, random activity, and a chewing motion are characteristic of this type of seizure. The person may be dazed and unaware of his or her surroundings, and may act oddly. There is no memory of this seizure. A person may experience a distinctive warning sign called an aura before this type of seizure. The aura is itself a form of partial seizure, but one in which the person retains awareness. The aura may be experienced as a peculiar odor, "butterflies" in the stomach, or a sound. One man with epilepsy, an ardent racetrack gambler, said he would always hear the roar of a crowd, followed by the name of a favorite racehorse, just before he lost consciousness.