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So, what does a seizure look like?
Not all seizures are alike.
In order to understand why seizures can look different,
let’s look at different parts of the brain and their functions.
The frontal lobe is responsible for personality,
emotions, problem solving and reasoning.
It is the “good citizenship” and judgment part of the brain.
The parietal lobe has both a motor and sensory strip.
The motor strip is responsible for muscle movements
and the sensory strip is responsible for feeling or sensation.
The temporal lobe is on the temple side
and is responsible for speech, language and hearing.
The occipital lobe is at the back of the brain and is responsible for vision.
Now, another thing to consider is that one side of the brain
controls the opposite side of the body.
This is important in helping us understand more about which
part of the brain might be involved with the seizure.
Because different parts of the brain control different activities,
where the seizure starts, and how it spreads in the brain,
determines what the seizure will look like.
This picture represents the motor strip.
It is the part of the brain which controls our muscle activity.
If a seizure is in the area of the motor strip,
the abnormal electrical activity spreads in a very organized fashion.
If the abnormal electrical activity remains localized,
the seizure might only involve the face and/or hand.
If it progresses however, it starts to involve different parts
of the body as it spreads along the motor strip.
So, it may start out with a funny sound as it involves the larynx
and then the tongue may start moving followed by parts of the face,
then the hand, arm, the trunk of the body,
hip, leg and finally the foot.
The reality however, is that the abnormal electrical activity
can spread so fast that it makes it difficult to see the progression
as the whole body becomes rapidly involved.
Other types of seizures involve different parts of the brain
and there can be changes in vision, smell, sensation, or taste.
A seizure can be as simple as a staring spell which cannot be interrupted.
During a seizure some people can be conscious
and aware but, they may or may not be able to talk.
Others can be starring, “zoned out,”
unaware and unresponsive with an altered consciousness.
And some people are unconscious.
Seizures can involve one or both sides of the body.
There can be rhythmic jerking, shaking, twitching,
stiffening or clenching involving one or more body parts.
When this happens, all of the affected body parts will move together.
Another type of seizure involves a sudden loss of muscle tone,
which can look as simple as a head drop, or suddenly falling to the ground.
Children having seizures can have drooling or
foam-like saliva coming from the mouth.
There can be color changes and the child
may look dusky, gray, bluish or pale.
The change in color is due to slower, shallower
breathing pattern during the seizure.
There can also be some odd noises like gurgling,
groaning or sighing while the seizure is happening.
Although seizures can have a variety of different looks,
they have two typical characteristics.
First, a seizure will have an onset, so abrupt that
it will immediately interrupt whatever the person is doing.
And second, you cannot stop the seizure by touching
or holding the involved body part.
And sometimes it is hard to decide if “zoning out”
is day dreaming or it's a seizure.
In this case, it is helpful to touch the person and see
if they respond by looking up, speaking or withdrawing.
(Music)