Neuro Lec 35 - Epilepsy

Front 1

what is the posterior rhythym?

Back 1

- present when you're eyes are closed

- not present when your eyes are open

Front 2

what are vertex waves & spindles?

Back 2

- vertex waves are when you fall asleep

- sleep spindles are in stage 2 sleep

Front 3

what is epilepsy?

Back 3

- two or more unprovoked seizures

Front 4

what is a seizure?

Back 4

- an interruption in normal neurologic function accompanied by an abnormal hyper synchronous neuronal discharge

Front 5

what are the divisions of partial seizures?

Back 5

- simple partial: retained consciousness

- complex partial: impaired consciousness

Front 6

how do you distinguish partial vs generalized seizures?

Back 6

- refers to onset

- if it starts all over your body at once then it is generalized (generalized almost always have impaired consciousness)

Front 7

what is the jacksonian march?

Back 7

- spreading of seizure over brain

Front 8

what are the prevalence rates of epilepsy in this country?

Back 8

- about 0.5%

Front 9

what is Todd's phenomenon? in the arm? in the eye?

Back 9

- when motor seizure only involves part of the body, weakness occurs after, usually resolves promptly <1hr

- eyes: drift away from effected side during seizure then post seizure will drift to the unaffected side

Front 10

what are positive vs negative signs in a seizure?

Back 10

- negative signs: paralysis, bling, can't feel arm

- positive: stiffness, stars or shapes, parasthesia/tingling/painful

Front 11

what does early handedness indicate?

Back 11

- hemiparesis --> usually become handed around 2 years old so if at 1 year you have a dominant hand then could be because of hemiparesis

Front 12

what can limb asymmetry tell you?

Back 12

- that the contralateral brain hemisphere might be smaller or have a defect

Front 13

is motor or sensory more eleptigenic?

Back 13

- motor

Front 14

what are some symptoms of partial seizures?

Back 14

- motor signs (jacksonian march)

- autonomic signs: vomiting, mydriasis, sweating, incontinence)

- sensory: parasthesias, visual, auditory

- psychic signs

- automatisms: release of autonomic behavior

Front 15

what is a generalized tonic clonic seizure?

Back 15

- start with whole body tonic --> clonic jerking

Front 16

what is fumbling vs twitching in terms of a seizure? (aka what is automatism)?

Back 16

- fumbling is an ipsilateral side

- twitching is a contralateral sign

- automatism is a release syndrome driven by the release of the non-seizure hemisphere

Front 17

what is an absence seizure?

Back 17

- person talking then they stop and stare into space

- 3 Hz generalized spike wave discharges

Front 18

What are myoclonic seizures?

Back 18

- 1 or 2 lightening like jerks

Front 19

what is the difference by seizure types and syndromes?

Back 19

- types: defined by behavior during seizure

- syndromes: defined by seizure types, patient age, history, family history

Front 20

when does childhood absence present? what EEG is it characterized by? when does it stop?

Back 20

- onset 4-8y/o

- AD with variable penetrance

- 3 Hz spike wave on EEG

- stops after 5-8, but can get GTC later in life

Front 21

what is juvenile myoclonic epilepsy?

Back 21

- chromosome 6, onset 12-18

- myoclonic jerks of head & upper limbs, some have absence

- later grand map seizures

- photoparyoxysmal response: seizure triggered by strobe lights

Front 22

what is benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BCECTS = rolandic seizures)?

Back 22

- generalized seizures: almost always nocturnal/during sleep

- focal seizures: often early morning, usually on awakening from sleep

Front 23

what happens with temporal lobe epilepsy?

Back 23

- hallmark seizure: complex partial seizure

- mesial temporal sclerosis

Front 24

where does west syndrome occur?

Back 24

- infantile spasms --> tonic