goodtoknow says: Epilepsy with 'absences' usually only happens to children and rarely continues to adulthood. They don't affect intelligence and aren't linked to any other brain disorder. Absence Seizures used to be called 'Petit Mal' and involve briefly losing consciousness. They last for a few seconds and can happen out of the blue. Your child may simply stare into space, as if they're daydreaming or dazed. It's common to have several absences every day. See your GP if you're worried. Medication can control the seizures and allow your child to lead a normal life.
For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of epilepsy with absence seizures from patient.co.uk, read on.
Absence seizures usually occur only in children and young people. Most people with this type of epilepsy 'grow out of it' by the time they are adults.
This leaflet discusses only the type of epilepsy with typical absence seizures. There are other types of 'atypical' absence seizures not dealt with in this leaflet.
A seizure is a short episode of symptoms caused by a burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Typically, a seizure lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. (Older words for seizures include convulsions and fits.)
The brain contains millions of nerve cells (neurones). Normally, the nerve cells are constantly sending tiny electrical messages down nerves to all parts of the body. Different parts of the brain control different parts and functions of the body. Therefore, the symptoms that occur during a seizure depend on where the burst of electrical activity occurs in the brain. There are different types of seizures but they are broadly divided into two main types - generalised and partial.
Absence seizure (previously called petit-mal) is a form of generalised seizure. It mainly occurs in children and young people. It is uncommon in adults. Many people associate epilepsy with the dramatic 'convulsive' type of seizure. Absence seizures are not like this. They are often not noticed for some time as it can appear that the affected person is simply daydreaming. The following gives a typical example.
The person has a brief loss of consciousness (an 'absence') for a few seconds. They do not fall, but may pause in what they are doing. Their face often looks pale with a blank expression. They may look dazed, the eyes stare, and the eyelids may flutter a little. Sometimes their head may fall down a little, or their arms may shake once or twice. Each seizure usually starts and finishes abruptly. The person is not aware of the 'absence', and resumes what they were doing.
Absence seizures may not be noticed by parents or teachers for some time as they usually last just a few seconds. It is common to have several absence seizures per day. If they are frequent, a child's education may suffer as they will not be able to concentrate on lessons.
No underlying cause can usually be found in the brain. The bursts of abnormal electrical activity usually occur 'out of the blue'. Why they start, or continue to occur, is unclear. What seems to happen is that the brain develops a low threshold for bursts of abnormal electrical activity.
In some people, a tendency to develop absence seizures is inherited. How it is passed on is not clear, but several members of an extended family may have this type of epilepsy. The parents of children with this type of epilepsy may wish to have genetic counselling to see if there is a chance of further children being affected.
The most important part of making a diagnosis is to have a clear description from parents or teachers of what happens during a suspected seizure. Often the description is typical of an absence seizure. However, sometimes it can be difficult for a doctor to be sure. The EEG test (ElectroEncephaloGram) is then helpful. This records the electrical impulses from the brain. Special stickers are put on parts of the scalp. They are connected to the EEG machine which amplifies the tiny electrical impulses given off by the brain and records their pattern on paper or a computer. The test is painless. People with absence seizures often have a typical EEG pattern.
There are several different medicines that can control absence seizures. They work by stabilising the electrical activity of the brain. Medication needs to be taken each day to control seizures. In most cases one medicine can control seizures. A low dose is usually started at first. If this fails to control seizures, the dose may need to be increased.
The outlook is good. Absence seizures rarely continue into adulthood. This type of epilepsy is not usually associated with any other neurological (brain) condition. Children with this type of epilepsy have the same range of intelligence and other abilities as other children. Treatment usually controls the seizures so that education and other aspects of life can be normal. Treatment can often be stopped in the late teenage years.
About 1 in 3 children with absence seizures will also have one or more 'convulsive' seizures (tonic-clonic seizures). If this occurs, both the absence and convulsive seizures can be treated by the same medication. In this group of children with both types of epilepsy, if treatment is stopped when absence seizures have ceased (often in their late teens), some may develop further convulsive seizures later in life. Treatment may then need to be re-started.
Epilepsy Action New Anstey House, Gateway Drive, Leeds, LS19 7XY Helpline: 0808 800 50 50 Web: www.epilepsy.org.uk
National Society For Epilepsy Chesham Lane, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, Bucks, SL9 0RJ Helpline: 01494 601 400 Web: www.epilepsynse.org.uk
Epilepsy Scotland 48 Govan Road, Glasgow, Scotland, G51 1JL Helpline: 0808 800 2 200 Web: www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk
Epilepsy Wales PO Box 4168, Cardiff, CF14 0WZ Helpline: 0845 7413774 Web: www.epilepsy-wales.co.uk
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