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Complex Partial Seizures in Children

Seizures can be frightening to witness and likely even more frightening to experience. We often associate seizures with uncontrolled jerking movements or spasms of the entire body. However, in complex partial seizures, the symptoms are often not as easy to identify and can include behaviors such as running, screaming, laughing or crying.

  1. Causes

    • The brain is the control center for all movement and function in the body, voluntary and involuntary. It uses electrical signals and nerve cells to communicate directions. When that electrical signal becomes abnormal, seizures can occur. There are many causes of seizures, such as brain injury, congenital abnormalities, high fever/infection or drug withdrawal. Children's Hospital of Boston also reports the cause may never be identified.

    Types of Seizures

    • According to MayoClinic.com, there are two types of seizures, generalized seizures and partial or focal seizures. Generalized seizures involve both sides of the brain. Patients suffering generalized seizures lose consciousness. They often experience fatigue and tiredness after the event, known as the postictal state. On the other hand, a focal or partial seizure involves only one side of the brain and does not always cause loss of consciousness. Symptoms will manifest according to what part of the brain is affected.

    Types of Focal/Partial Seizures

    • Partial seizures are simple or complex. According to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), simple focal seizures typically last less than one minute. The child may experience unusual tastes or sensations. He can become nauseous and appear pale but does not lose consciousness. With a complex focal seizure, the child loses consciousness or develops an altered state of awareness, which causes a dreamlike state. She may engage in repetitious behavior such as hand rubbing or begin walking in a circle. This type of seizure typically lasts 1 to 2 minutes.

    Diagnostic Tests

    • In the case of possible seizure, the physician will do a full physical examination and lab workup, along with medical history workup and investigation into possible family history of seizures as well. The EEG detects abnormal electrical activity in the brain. NINDS recommends having this study within 24 hours of a first seizure. A sleeping EEG is also common since our brain activity is very different during sleep. MRI, CAT and PET scans help determine the actual cause and location of the abnormal activity.

    Treatment Options

    • Medication is typically the first attempt at seizure control and most often works. There are many anti-seizure drugs on the market today. The type used will depend upon the kind of seizure the child is having, age of the child, lab and study results. This can be a trial-and-error period as the physician seeks to find the best medication match for the patient. According to the NINDS, surgery may also be an option if seizures remain uncontrolled after medication trials are exhausted.

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