Epilepsy is considered a polyetiological disease, since there are many different reasons for its occurrence. The defeat can affect the entire brain region or its individual parts.
Partial seizures occur in the presence of neuropsychiatric diseases characterized by high electrical activity of neurons and a prolonged course of the disease.
Features of the disease
Partial epileptic seizures can be at any age. This is due to the fact that structural changes lead to the fact that there are violations of the psychoneurotic status of a person. There is also a decrease in intelligence.
A partial seizure in epilepsy is a neurological diagnosis that indicates a chronic course of brain diseases. The main feature is the occurrence of seizures of varying strength, shape, and also the nature of the course.
Main classification
Partial seizures are characterized by the fact that they cover only a certain part of the brain. They are divided into simple and complex. Simple, in turn, are divided into sensory and autonomic.
Sensory partial seizures are mainly accompanied by hallucinations, which can be:
- auditory;
- visual;
- flavoring.
It all depends on the location of the focus in certain parts of the brain. In addition, there is a feeling of numbness in a certain part of the body.
Vegetative partial seizures occur when the temporal region is damaged. Among their main manifestations, it should be noted:
- heart palpitations;
- heavy sweating;
- fear and depression.
For complex partial seizures of epilepsy , a slight impairment of consciousness is characteristic. The lesion focus extends to the areas responsible for attention and consciousness. The main symptom of such a violation is stupor. In this case, a person literally freezes in one place, in addition he can make various involuntary movements. When he regains consciousness, he does not understand what happens to him during an attack.
Over time, partial seizures can turn into generalized seizures. They form completely suddenly, since both hemispheres are affected simultaneously. With this form of the disease, the examination will not reveal foci of pathological activity.
Simple seizures
This form is characterized by the fact that human consciousness remains normal. Simple partial seizures are divided into several types, namely:
- motor;
- sensory;
- vegetative.
Motor seizures are characterized by the fact that simple muscle contractions and cramps of the extremities are observed. This may be accompanied by involuntary turns of the head and body. Chewing movements worsen and speech loss is observed.
Sensory seizures are characterized by the fact that there is numbness in the limbs or half of the body. When the occipital region is affected, there may be visual hallucinations. In addition, unusual taste sensations may appear.
Vegetative seizures are characterized by the occurrence of unpleasant sensations, salivation, gas exhaustion, a feeling of tightness in the stomach.
Complicated seizures
Similar violations are common enough. They are characterized by much more pronounced signs. With complex partial seizures, a change in consciousness and the inability to make contact with the patient are characteristic. In addition, disorientation in space and confusion can be observed.
A person is aware of the course of the attack, but at the same time he can not do anything, does not react to anything or does all the movements involuntarily. The duration of such an attack is 2-3 minutes.
This condition is characterized by signs such as:
- rubbing hands;
- involuntary licking of the lips;
- fear;
- repetition of a word or sounds;
- a person moves at various distances.
There may also be complex seizures with secondary generalization. The patient completely retains all the memories of the onset of the attack until the moment of loss of consciousness.
Causes of occurrence
The causes of partial epileptic seizures are not yet fully known. However, there are certain provoking factors, in particular such as:
- genetic predisposition;
- neoplasms in the brain;
- head injuries;
- malformations;
- cysts;
- alcohol addiction;
- emotional shock;
- drug addiction.
Often the root cause remains undetermined. A person can have a disease at any age, but adolescents and the elderly are at particular risk. In some, epilepsy is not very pronounced and may not manifest itself throughout life.
Causes in children
Partial motor seizures can occur at any age in both infants and adolescents. Among the main reasons you need to highlight such as:
- birth injuries;
- intrauterine negative factors;
- cerebral hemorrhages;
- chromosomal pathologies;
- brain damage and trauma.
It should be noted that with timely treatment, the prognosis is quite favorable. By around the age of 16 you can completely get rid of the disease. Treatment of children is carried out by surgery, medication or with a special diet. Proper nutrition will allow you to get the desired result much faster and get rid of the disease.
In some cases, epileptic seizures appear during the first 3 months of a baby's life. Symptoms are similar to cerebral palsy. The cause of seizures is mainly various genetic defects. Disease can lead to dangerous malformations. It is worth noting that many children suffering from this disease die.
Main symptoms
Symptoms of partial seizures in all patients are purely individual. The simple form is characterized by the fact that it proceeds with the preservation of consciousness. A similar form of the disease mainly manifests itself in the form of:
- unnatural muscle contractions;
- simultaneous rotation of the eyes and head in one direction;
- chewing movements, grimaces, salivation;
- speech stops;
- feelings of heaviness in the abdomen, heartburn, flatulence;
- olfactory, visual and taste hallucinations.
Complex attacks are observed in approximately 35-45% of affected people. They are mainly accompanied by a complete loss of consciousness. A person understands exactly what is happening to him, but at the same time he is simply not able to respond to an appeal to him. At the end of the attack, complete amnesia is mainly observed, and then the person does not remember what happened to him.
Often, the resulting focal pathological activity covers both hemispheres of the brain at once. In this case, a generalized seizure begins, which often manifests itself in the form of a cramp. Complex forms of the disease manifest themselves in the form of:
- the emergence of negative emotions in the form of severe anxiety and fear of death;
- feelings or concentration on already occurred events;
- feelings of unreality of what is happening;
- the emergence of automatism.
Being in a familiar environment, a person can perceive it as unfamiliar, which causes a feeling of panic fear. The patient can observe himself as if from the outside and identify with the heroes of recently read books or films watched. He can also repeat constantly uniform movements, the nature of which is determined by the area of damage to the brain.
In the period between attacks at the initial stage of the course of the violation, a person can feel quite normal. However, after some time, the symptoms begin to progress and cerebral hypoxia may occur. This is accompanied by the appearance of sclerosis, headaches, personality changes.
First aid
If very often partial seizures occur, then you must know how to give a person first aid. If an attack occurs, you must:
- make sure that it is indeed epilepsy;
- to lay a person on a flat surface;
- turn the patient’s head on its side to avoid choking;
- Do not move the person or do so in case of danger to him.
You should not try to restrain convulsions, and it is strictly forbidden to do artificial respiration or indirect heart massage. After the attack is over, you need to give the person the opportunity to recover and urgently call an ambulance and hospitalize the patient in a hospital. Be sure to provide timely assistance to the victim, since such seizures can lead to the death of the patient.
Diagnostics
To make a diagnosis of complex partial seizures, the neuropathologist prescribes a thorough examination, which necessarily includes:
- history taking;
- inspection;
- ECG and MRI;
- fundus examination;
- conversation with a psychiatrist.
To detect damage to the subarachnoid region, asymmetry or deformation of the ventricles of the brain, pneumoencephalography is indicated. Attacks of partial epilepsy need to be differentiated from other forms of disturbance or a severe degree of the course of the disease. That is why the doctor can prescribe additional research methods that will help to more accurately make a diagnosis.
Treatment feature
Treatment of partial seizures must begin with a comprehensive diagnosis and clarification of the causes of the attack. This is required to eliminate and completely stop epipresses, as well as minimize side effects.
It is worth noting that if the disease occurs in adulthood, then it is impossible to cure it. In this case, the essence of therapy is to reduce seizures. To achieve sustainable remission, antiepileptic drugs are prescribed, in particular, such as:
- Lamictal.
- "Carbamazepine."
- Topiramat.
- "Depakine."
To get the best possible result, the doctor may prescribe combination drugs. If drug therapy does not bring the desired result, then a neurosurgical operation is indicated. Surgical intervention is resorted to if the methods of conservative treatment did not bring the desired result, and the patient suffers from frequent seizures.
When conducting meningoencephalolysis, craniotomy is performed in the area that caused epilepsy. The neurosurgeon very carefully dissects everything, which irritates the cerebral cortex, namely, the membrane, which is changed by scar tissue, and exostoses are also removed.
Horsley surgery is sometimes performed. Her technique was developed by an English neurosurgeon. In this case, the affected cortical centers are removed. If the attacks provoke the formation of scar tissue on the shells of the brain, then during such an operation there will be no results.
After eliminating the irritating effect of scars on the brain, seizures will stop for a while, but very quickly scars form again in the area of the operation, which will be much larger than the previous ones. After the operation, Horsley may experience monoparalysis of the limb whose motor centers have been removed. In this case, seizures immediately stop. Over time, paralysis goes away on its own and is replaced by monoparesis.
The patient forever retains some weakness in this limb. Often, seizures reappear over time, which is why the operation is prescribed in the most extreme case. Doctors prefer to carry out initially conservative treatment.
With minor epilepsy, which is not provoked by serious pathologies, treatment by eliminating irritants with osteopathic techniques is possible. For this, massage or acupuncture treatment is indicated. Physiotherapeutic techniques and adherence to a special diet also have a good result.
It is worth noting that the disease manifests itself much weaker and less often in the absence of stress, proper nutrition, and observing the daily regimen. It is also important to abandon bad habits, which are among strong provocative factors.
Forecast
The prognosis of epilepsy can be very different. Often the disease is effectively treated or goes away on its own. If the disease occurs in the elderly or has a complex course, then throughout the life of the patient is under the supervision of a doctor and must take special medications.
Most types of epilepsy are completely safe for human life and health, however, during seizures, the likelihood of accidents should be excluded. Patients learn to live with the disease, avoid dangerous situations and provoking factors.
Epilepsy is very rare, associated with severe damage to the brain, which can cause dangerous disorders of internal organs, changes in consciousness, loss of connection with the outside world or paralysis. With the course of the disease, the prognosis depends on many different factors, namely:
- the area of the focus of convulsive activity and its intensity;
- causes of occurrence;
- the presence of concomitant diseases;
- age of the patient;
- the nature and level of changes in the brain;
- reaction to drugs;
- type of epilepsy.
An accurate forecast can only be given by a qualified specialist, therefore it is strictly forbidden to engage in self-medication. It is important to consult a doctor immediately if signs of the first illness appear.
Prevention
Prevention of any type of epilepsy is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To prevent the frequent recurrence of seizures, you need to completely abandon smoking, consumption of alcoholic beverages, caffeinated drinks. It is strictly forbidden to overeat, and you also need to avoid exposure to harmful, provoking factors.
It is important to strictly observe a certain regimen of the day, as well as follow a special diet. In order to prevent the occurrence of partial seizures after head injuries and operations, a course of antiepileptic drugs is prescribed.