Other types of seizure

Any form of epilepsy may occur during sleep, but some types of epilepsy are more likely to be restricted exclusively to sleep.

These are sometimes called Nocturnal Seizures, and studies have shown that 10-45% of people with epilepsy have seizures that occur predominantly or exclusively during sleep, or with sleep deprivation. Febrile Convulsions are another form of brain disturbance somewhat related to epilepsy, generally seen in young children with a high temperature.

Temporal Lobe seizures affect the sections of the brain found above each ear. The temporal lobe is the part of the brain that processes emotions, short-term memory and the fight-or-flight reactions. People who have temporal lobe seizures tend to have their mental and emotional state altered and affected as opposed to their physical attributes, however, the main symptom is a brief loss of consciousness, and the patient may appear drowsy, violent or intoxicated during the seizure.

Status Epilepticus is a state of recurring seizures when consciousness does not return between seizure events and this can be extremely serious. This is rare, and if not dealt with it can cause brain damage or even death. Very occasionally, a seizure will continue longer than normal, but if the seizure lasts for half an hour or more, then the person is said to be ‘in status’. Therefore it is essential that should anyone have a seizure, bystanders should always time how long the person has had a seizure for. It is vital that the emergency medical services are called and that anyone ‘in status’ receives emergency medical help. Status is more likely to occur in people who have tonic-clonic seizures but may affect people with any type of seizure. People who are known to go into status may be prescribed emergency medication. The two main types of epilepsy medication are buccal midazolam and rectal diazepam.