Seizure disorders take several forms, depending on where in the brain the malfunction take place and how much of the total brain area is involved. There are two large groups of seizures - partial seizures that affect only part of the brain, and generalized seizures that affect the whole brain.
Partial seizures are also divided into groups.
Simple partial seizures produce changes in how you move or feel. They can make your legs shake, or alter your speech, or create an odd feeling on your skin. Things may look smaller or larger than they really are during a simple partial seizure. Or there may be noises or flashes of light that are not really there. Some people see images of the past. This type of seizure usually produces the same set of feelings or movements each time it happens.
What happens during a seizure depends on what part of your brain is being affected by it.
Complex partial seizures make people black out for a few minutes. During that time, you may stare, or pick at your clothes, make chewing movements with your mouth, or twitch your face. Some people wander during this type of seizure. They may pick things up and put them down, aimlessly. They may mumble or, in some cases, shout. People may undress during a seizure, all the time completely unaware of what they are doing.
People cannot respond during a seizure, or understand what is being said to them, or look out for their own safety.
The reason for unusual behavior during a seizure is that the part of the brain that controls such activities is being affected by bursts of electrical energy.
Generalized seizures happen when the whole brain is swamped by electrical energy. They may be:
Massive muscle jerks (myoclonic seizures)
Muscle spasms in babies (infantile spasms)
Sudden falls for no reason (drop attacks)
Short staring spells (absense seizures, also called petit mal)
Convulsions (generalized tonic clonic seizures, also called grand mal)
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