Absence Seizures

[Sara Fohn]

1. Absence seizures (petit mal)
a. From Scribes
i. Not responsive to environment
ii. Maintain body tone but not arousable
iii. More prevalent in children
iv. No aura or postictal period
v. Characterized by staring spells with almost no motor component
vi. Short (7-10 seconds)
b. involves a brief, sudden lapse of conscious activity. Occurring
most often in children, an absence seizure may look like the person is
merely staring into space for a few seconds.
c. Compared with other types of epileptic seizures, absence seizures
appear mild. But that doesn't mean they can't be dangerous. Children
with a history of absence seizure must be supervised carefully while
swimming or bathing, because of the danger of drowning. Teens and
adults may also be restricted from driving and other potentially
hazardous activities.
d. Absence seizures can usually be controlled with anti-seizure
medications. Many children outgrow absence seizures in their teen
years, though some may eventually develop grand mal seizures.
e. Signs of absence seizures include:
i. Staring, without unusual movement
ii. Lip smacking
iii. Fluttering eyelids
iv. Chewing
v. Hand movements
vi. Small movements of both arms
f. Absence seizures last only a few seconds. Full recovery is almost
instantaneous. Afterward, there is no confusion, but also no memory of
the incident. Some people experience hundreds of these episodes each
day, which interferes with their performance at school or work.
g. Children who are walking or doing other complex tasks during a
seizure probably won't fall, though they'll be unaware.
h. Absence seizures may occur for some time before an adult notices
them, because they're so brief. A noticeable decline in a child's
learning ability may be the first sign of this disorder. Teachers also
may comment about a child's inability to pay attention.
i. Often, no underlying cause can be found for absence seizures. Many
children appear to have a genetic predisposition to them. Sometimes
hyperventilation can trigger an absence seizure.
j. True absence seizures, on the other hand, can't be interrupted by
voice or touch. They also tend to occur right in the middle of a
child's conversation or physical activity.
k. Often, the first drug prescribed for absence seizures is
ethosuximide (Zarontin). However, other medications, such as valproic
acid (Depakene) and lamotrigine (Lamictal), also are effective at
controlling seizures.