Disease Insights: tonic-clonic-epilepsy-or-tonic-clonic-seizures
Welcome to the ultimate guide on . Here, you'll find answers to the most common questions to help you or your loved ones understand and manage this condition better.
Sorry, we couldn't find any description for .
Sorry, we couldn't find any symptoms information for .
Sorry, we couldn't find any precautions for .
Questions Covered:
- what is tonic-clonic epilepsy or tonic-clonic seizures?
- causes of tonic-clonic epilepsy or tonic-clonic seizures?
- How do doctors usually figure out if someone has tonic-clonic epilepsy or tonic-clonic seizures, diagnosis?
Answers:
Question: what is tonic-clonic epilepsy or tonic-clonic seizures?
Tonic seizures cause sudden stiffness and rigidity in your muscles. They typically last less than 1 minute.
Seizures are rapid bursts of electrical activity in your brain that can cause involuntary movement and a loss of awareness or consciousness. There are different classifications of seizures. These depend on factors like the part of your brain that's affected and the symptoms the seizure causes.
Tonic seizures are characterized by sudden muscle stiffness in your limbs or torso. They can occur when you're awake or asleep and usually last less than a minute
.
Anyone can have a seizure, but most people with recurrent seizures have a neurological condition known as epilepsy. Epilepsy exists on a spectrum. This means the type, frequency, and severity of seizures varies considerably between individuals.
About 11%
of people in the United States experience a seizure in their lifetime.
Read on to learn more about tonic seizures, including what causes them and how they differ from other types of seizures.
Question: causes of tonic-clonic epilepsy or tonic-clonic seizures?
Like other types of seizures, tonic seizures are caused by abnormal surges of electrical information in your brain. There are many potential causes of seizures. Focal tonic seizures are associated with the activation of a part of your brain called Brodmann area 6
.
Tonic seizures are often seen
in people who experienced hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy around birth. Hypoxic ischemic brain injuries happen because of a lack of oxygen in your brain.
It can also happen in people with intraventricular hemorrhage. Intraventricular hemorrhage is bleeding in the spaces that allow fluid to flow out of your brain.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, tonic seizures are common among people who have Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and other types of epilepsy.
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe type of epilepsy that usually develops before 4 years of age
. It can be caused by:
brain malfunctions
tuberous sclerosis
lack of oxygen around birth (perinatal asphyxia)
severe head injury
brain infection
genetic conditions
In a 2019 case study
, researchers reported tonic seizures associated with autoimmune epilepsy.
Question: How do doctors usually figure out if someone has tonic-clonic epilepsy or tonic-clonic seizures, diagnosis?
Seizure disorders are usually diagnosed by a type of specialist called a neurologist.
Bring a written description of what happens during your seizures. Or have someone take a video and bring that along for the doctor to review. This is an important part of the diagnosis process. A neurologist can use this information to narrow down which type of seizure you're having.
A neurologist can run various tests to help find the underlying cause of your seizures. They'll likely give you a test called an electroencephalogram (EEG). This test uses special sensors placed on your head to detect any unusual electrical activity in your brain.
A doctor may also recommend a brain scan to look for brain tumors or structural abnormalities in your brain.
Blood tests can help a doctor rule out genetic conditions or signs of infection.
Useful Articles on
No articles found on .