Petit mal epilepsy causes absence seizures, which can interrupt conscious thought and activity. Though seemingly mild, they can be dangerous and require medication. Diagnosis is done through EEG and MRI tests. Treatment can take time due to trial and error with medication and potential side effects.
Petit mal epilepsy is a form of epilepsy that causes seizures known as absence seizures or petit mal seizures. Someone having these seizures experiences a brief interruption in conscious thought and activity. During an absence seizure, he may suddenly stop moving and stare into space for several seconds or more before resuming activity. In most cases, seizures caused by petit mal epilepsy can be managed with medication.
Absence seizures caused by petit mal epilepsy often seem mild and even harmless to observers. This is especially true when absence seizures are compared to the jerky, sometimes violent muscle contractions caused by myoclonic seizures or the sudden loss of consciousness and fainting caused by atonic seizures. Even so, absence seizures can be dangerous. For example, children who have absence seizures cannot swim or bathe on their own, due to the risk of drowning from seizures. Teens and adults may be unable to drive or perform other tasks that most people take for granted, due to the risk of seizures.
Absence seizures and other types of seizures are caused by abnormal activity of neurons. Neurons are brain cells that transmit electrical energy in the form of chemical signals. These chemical signals are transmitted through synapses, or junctions, that connect adjacent neurons. When neurons transmit these chemical signals abnormally, the normal pattern of electrical activity in the brain is disrupted.
The type of seizure that occurs depends on the specific pattern of abnormal electrical energy that is occurring. In petit mal seizures, the pattern is a three-second sequence of electrical signals. This repeats as long as the seizure continues.
Petit mal seizures are more common in children than in adults. This is because young children’s brains are still growing and contain more synapses than an adult brain. Most children with petit mal epilepsy stop having seizures as they get older. In a small percentage of cases, your child may continue to have absence seizures or may begin to have the type of whole-body movement seizures associated with grand mal epilepsy.
The various types of epilepsy are generally diagnosed based on tests such as electroencephalography (EEG) and a brain scan such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test. An EEG is done to examine the electrical activity in the brain. During this test, the patient will be exposed to stimuli to provoke a seizure so that abnormal brain activity can be assessed. An MRI scan is done to examine the brain itself to determine if a tumor or structural abnormality is causing the seizures.
Petit mal epilepsy can usually be controlled effectively with medication, but it’s not always easy to quickly determine the right medication and the right dose. Finding the most effective drug and dose is often a matter of trial and error and can take several months or more. Antiepileptic drugs also tend to have a large number of potential side effects, such as headaches, insomnia, nervousness, hyperactivity, gastrointestinal upset, and immune system suppression.
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