What Are The Major Types Of Seizures?

Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures are abnormal episodes of sensation, behaviors, and movement that appear similar to epileptic seizures. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures do not originate neurologically but are a phenomenon that occurs with psychologic distress. These seizures can occur in individuals of any age but are more prevalent among those younger than fifty-five years old. These types of seizures are known to occur three times more in women than in men. Multiple psychological factors can trigger psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, such as stress, trauma, and other mental illness. It is easy to mistake psychogenic non-epileptic seizures for epileptic seizures because they present externally with similar features. However, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures do not have the characteristic of abnormal electrical discharges in the brain. Therefore, the diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures is made through admission and observation in an epilepsy monitoring unit. In this setting, a neurologist can study EEG recordings and videos to make an accurate diagnosis.

Read more about the various types of seizures now.

Infantile Spasms

Infantile spasms are actually a disorder that occurs in infants involving multiple brief seizures. Infantile spasms look similar to when an infant becomes startled where the legs and arms become stiffened, and the head bends forward. Infantile spasms have a sudden onset and only last for several seconds. Some infants may experience these spasms in clusters with a duration of several minutes. Abnormal blood vessels in the infant's brain, infections, malformations in the infant's brain, and brain injuries can all produce infantile spasms. Vitamin B6 deficiency, genetic disorders, and certain metabolic disorders can also cause an individual to experience infantile spasms. Infantile spasms are known to be accompanied by slowed development or skill loss, such as crawling, babbling, and sitting. Most infants affected by infantile spasms will grow out of them by the time they reach four years old. Infantile spasms are diagnosed with the use of blood tests, urine tests, electroencephalography, video EEG, CAT scans, MRIs, and PET scans.