Understanding Seizure Disorders: Definitions, Types, Causes, and Effects, Quizzes of Psychology

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TERM 1 Seizure Disorders Terms DEFINITION 1 Epilepsy: General term covering a variety of events involving seizure activity For epilepsy to be diagnosed... - seizures are recurrent and repetitive- single seizure due to unusual conditions/epilepsy Seizure: sudden disruption or marked change in electrical activity of the brain and the subsequent uncontrolled effects on the body Prior to seizure: feelings of anxiety, unease, or discomforting sensations, flickering lights TERM 2 Epilepsy DEFINITION 2 General term covering a variety of events involving seizure activity TERM 3 Seizure DEFINITION 3 Sudden disruption or marked change in electrical activity of the brain and the subsequent uncontrolled effects on the body TERM 4 Prior to Seizure DEFINITION 4 feelings of anxiety unease discomforting sensations flickering lights TERM 5 Characteristics of Seizures DEFINITION 5 Can happen to anyone given the right precipitating conditions: - fevers, head trauma, blood sugar, loss of oxygen, extreme exertion, lack of sleep, high doses of drugs, sudden drug withdrawal Seizure threshold: - person's combination of hereditary, physiological, psychological, and environmental factors that make seizures more/less likely Range in severity (convulsion followed by loss of consciousness v. brief invisible seizures) Range in frequency - sometimes long periods between occurrences Following a seizure - may experience confusion, memory lapse, fatigue, alarm, irritation, fright, anger TERM 6 Seizure Threshold: DEFINITION 6 person's combination of hereditary physiological psychological environmental factors that make seizures more/less likely TERM 7 Following a Seizure DEFINITION 7 confusion memory lapse alarm irrigation fright anger TERM 8 Two Categories of Seizures DEFINITION 8 Partial (One area of the brain) Generalized (Throughout the brain) TERM 9 Partial (One area of the brain) DEFINITION 9 Simple Partial Complex Partial Generalized Partial TERM 10 Generalized (Throughout the brain) DEFINITION 10 Generalized Tonic-Clonic Absence Atonic TERM 21 Risk Factors DEFINITION 21 In idiopathic cases, may risk factors have been identified: Prenatal and Perinatal - small fetus for gestational age- occurrence of neonatal seizures (first 28 days)- other implicated risk factors (with less supporting data)- low birth weight, eclampsia (mom's epilepsy), birch complications, smoking Association with other disabilities - CP, ID, MS, PKU, Alzheimer's disease, strokes TERM 22 Risk Factors DEFINITION 22 Genetic - higher rates of seizures in mono zygotic twins than in d zygotic twins and both non twin siblings/general population- parents with epilepsy (2X greater risk if mother is affected)- genetic counseling recommended Head trauma - clearly associated with epilepsy (esp. in open injuries) Alcohol and other drugs -alcohol and heroin are associated with seizures and epilepsy in adults- either overdose or abrupt cessation TERM 23 Incidence and Prevelance DEFINITION 23 Epilepsy Foundation of America: - incidence: 125,000 cases per year- prevalence: 2% of the population (5.5 million cases)- 1 in 20 persons will have a seizure- 1 in 200 will have epilepsy 50% of cases begin under the age of 25 Most frequent in children under the age of 1 - continue at a high rate up to age 4 - decrease through adolescence and adulthood - sharp increase in persons over 50 African and Hispanic Americans vs. Caucasians 3.3 : 1 male vs. females ratio TERM 24 Incidence DEFINITION 24 125,000 cases per year TERM 25 Prevalence DEFINITION 25 2% of the population (5.5 million cases)1 in 20 persons will have a seizure1 in 200 will have epilepsy TERM 26 Effects of Epilepsy on the Person DEFINITION 26 Appearance - no visible signs (unlike some other IDDs) until a seizure occurs- In severe cases, children may have to wear protective headgear Mortality - greater rate than that of the general population- frequent seizures are associated with a d higher rate- suicide is elevated- common seizure med is barbiturates - can induce repression Injury - risks if injuries during and following seizures- risk can be minimized through planning TERM 27 Effects of Epilepsy on the Person DEFINITION 27 Pregnancy and Reproduction - pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal problems are greater (may be due to the med)- rate changes for about 1/2 women during pregnancy (most incr.)- med can cause minor/major birth defects:- cleft palate, neural tube defects, foot/finger anomalies- 90% of pregnant women with epilepsy have healthy children Decreased fertility in men TERM 28 Effects of Epilepsy on the Peson DEFINITION 28 Psychological and Social - can have effects on social functioning and psychological well- being- how well understood, accepted, and controlled the condition- children/adolescents:- problems of self-evaluation/fears of peer rejection- don less well in school even though no difference in IQ- how parents accommodate the condition will affect the child- adults- no clear evidence that epilepsy is correlated with psychopathology TERM 29 Treatment DEFINITION 29 Drug therapy - anti-epileptic medications: goal - maintain person at a psychological level that is above seizure threshold- close monitoring/frequent adjustments- negative side effects:- prolonged fever, rash, severe sore throat, mouth ulcers, excessive fatigue, lack of appetite, swollen glands- issues with pregnancy- poytherapy effects- medication compliance failure common TERM 30 Treatment DEFINITION 30 Surgery: - 15-20% do not respond well to drug therapy- small proportion are appropriate for surgery- considerations:- severity- non-responded- little chance of spontaneous recovery- specific focus on the brain- most are temporal lobe seizures (some frontal/parietal)- success rate: up to 70% free;90% have improvement- carry many risks (infection, further damage) TERM 31 Treatment DEFINITION 31 Psychological Treatment - need for counseling and education- behavioral therapy:- understand antecedents/triggers/manage post-seizure behavior Ketogenic Diet: - hard-to-control, frequently occurring seizures in childrenhigh in fats, low in protein and carbohydrates (3 or 5:1)- improvement in nearly 75%; 20% complete cessation- 2 years - return to normal diet- empirically supported- mimics fasting without nontraditional harm TERM 32 Prognosis DEFINITION 32 Generally positive Resistant cases appear to be those in which seizures began early (before 2) - other neurological or mental disabilities Seizures can be effectively controlled in the majority (85%) of cases