Seizure Disorders

For a good, detailed history:

• Describe what you saw

• Video of the event?

• How long?

• Recurrence?

• Continuous or with breaks?

• Start with all of body or one part?

• Was the child aware?

• Preceding aura?

Epilepsy

With focal seizures, the patient my describe specific symptoms which could indicate the location of the seizure activity:

• Frontal lobe - motor symptoms

• Parietal lobe - sensory symptoms

• Temporal lobe – Strange smells, lip-smacking

• Occipital lobe – Visual aura

Generalised seizures include tonic, tonic-clonic, myoclonic, atonic, or absent.

Febrile Convulsions

30-40% of patients have another episode later on.

There is no significantly increased risk of developing epilepsy in future (~1%).

West Syndrome

This is also known as Infantile spasms, and are characterised by myoclonic jerking that occurs in clusters. It's associated with developmental regression and a high morbidity.

Benign Rolandic Seizures

This presents with a tonic seizure during the night. It may be noticed by parents if the child makes noises or falls out of bed often.

Most outgrow it around puberty, and there’s no significantly increased risk of developing epilepsy in the future.