Absence Seizures

Kate Luna
Biology 1010
April 27, 2022
 For this signature assignment I have decided to talk about Absence Seizures,
otherwise known as Petit Mal seizures. I chose this topic because my little sister was
diagnosed with absence seizures at the age of four. I was young and didn’t understand
what absence seizures were. I had so many questions that my parents couldn’t answer
because neither they nor the doctors knew how the absence seizures occurred. There
are many types of seizures, they can range from mild to extreme. There are many types
of medications that are prescribed to help treat the seizures depending on how severe
or mild they are.
A seizure is a burst of abnormal electrical brain activity that causes a person to
fall to the ground and shake or move uncontrollably with no recollection of what
happened. An absence seizure can last for a few seconds or minutes, with loss of
consciousness, but no convulsions happen. This type of seizure occurs in children aged
between four and fourteen years old (most common in girls). Absence seizures do tend
to run in the family, but there is a small chance that it can be passed down genetically.
There is no known cause for absence seizures. A child can have 10, 50, or 100 seizures
a day and some can go unnoticed. Absence seizures are usually mistaken for
daydreaming or not paying attention, that is why some children’s epilepsy worsens
because no treatment is being given.
It is uncommon for absence seizures to continue into adulthood (unless
medication isn’t taking any effect). They’re more common in children than in adults, but
an absence seizure can occur at any age. Those who experience absence seizures
lose consciousness and blank out, or stare into space and come back to “reality” after
the seizure is done. I remember when my sister would have an absence seizure, she
would say that she saw fireworks going off. What we did to get her to regain
consciousness was either make a loud clap or call her name loudly until she came back.
Childhood Absence Epilepsy (CAE) accounts for 10%-15% of all childhood
epilepsy whether it’s severe or simple. CAE is a common epileptic syndrome. This
syndrome has been reevaluated over the years because researchers have found that
“children with CAE can present invalidating neuropsychological comorbidities that will
affect them up to adulthood”(Rinaldi). Because of this, there’s a percentage of affected
children who can develop drug resistant forms of CAE.
I’m going to compare Absence Seizures to Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS). As
I’ve explained before, absence seizures is a mild form of epilepsy in which the person
has an episode that lasts for a short period of time. LGS is an extreme form of epilepsy.
LGS is sporadic which means that it can occur without any inheritance.It is more
common in children ages 2-7 and boys are slightly more likely to experience LGS than
girls. People with LGS may experience different types of seizures like a tonic seizure
(stiffening of the body), an atonic seizure (loss of muscle tone and consciousness),
atypical seizure (staring episodes), and myoclonic seizure (sudden muscle jerks). To be
diagnosed with LGS, you must have different types of seizures (like the ones I listed
above), a specific brain wave pattern, and abnormal cognitive and behavioral abilities.
The cause of LGS is due to an existing neurological abnormality. This can happen
before or during birth with problems of blood flow in the brain while it is in development
or brain infections, or anything that can affect the nervous system. LGS cannot be
cured, it can be treated, but it’s difficult to treat. It is very rare for someone with LGS to
completely be free from it. The seizures that come with LGS do not respond well with
anti seizure medications. Medication can be taken with a combination of a special diet
and surgery. The Ketogenic Diet (KD) is high in fat, low in proteins, and low in
carbohydrates.It has been proven to help children with LGS. It helps control seizures.
Children go on the Ketogenic Diet when they’re not responding to medication.
According to the Therapeutic Options for Childhood article, absence seizures are
caused due to, “disruptions in thalamocortical pathways involving T-type calcium
channels and antiepileptic drugs effective against absence seizures among other
mechanisms, exert their effect principally at these channels.” Typically how an episode
is triggered is by hyperventilation. To confirm this, doctors hold a piece of paper up to
the patient's face and have them blow on the paper. If they suddenly stop blowing and
are staring into space, it means that they’re having an episode. To actually confirm a
diagnosis and before starting any kind of treatment, an electroencephalography (EEG)
is done that measures the rhythm and electrical patterns in the spike wave discharges.
There are many medications that doctors prescribe for absence seizures. The
most common is Ethosuximide (Zarontin). This medicine is for those who have simple
absence seizures, instead of extreme seizures. The recommended dosage is 10-15mg
a day, which is maintained at 20-30mg a day divided in two doses. Valproic acid
(Depakene) and Lamotrigine (Lamictal) are medications that are also used to treat
absence seizures. There can be some side effects while taking the medication(s) and
after the medication is not being taken anymore. It’s been about two weeks since my
little sister stopped taking medication, but she had a few staring episodes. When taking
medication for epilepsy whether it’s severe or less severe, doctors have to pay close
attention when prescribing multiple medications for treatment. Some medications can
overlap and cause even more problems or danger to the patient.
Children with epilepsy can still do sports activities like anyone else. Activities
include swimming, rock climbing, diving, soccer, basketball, etc. If they’re involved in a
sport activity in school, the coaches must be informed of their epilepsy to keep an eye
on them in case something happens. It’s also important to note that there may be some
sports that won’t allow people with epilepsy to participate. For example, the doctor told
my mom that my little sister can't be alone in the shower, someone needs to be there
just in case something happens. Another thing is that people with epilepsy have to be at
least 2 years seizures free after they’re taken off medication in order to be able to get a
permit and their drivers license.
It is important for parents, or anyone whom the child interacts with, knows what
to do in case an absence seizure occurs. First and foremost, it is important to keep track
of how long the seizure lasted, when it happened, what happened right before and
during the seizure, and how many times a day did a seizure occur. This information will
help your doctor come up with the best treatment for the child. Another thing is to pay
close attention as to what triggers the seizure and take precautions when the child is
swimming or bathing. It’s best to not leave the child alone until the doctor sees that the
medication is taking effect and the child becomes seizure free.
 Literature Cited
Clinical case presentation on absence seizures diagnosis and treatment care services and outcomes in
an adult patient. (2019). Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 10(1), 154–157.
https://doi-org.libprox1.slcc.edu/10.4103/jnrp.jnrp_191_18

https://libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=134
052014&site=eds-live&scope=site

Rinaldi, V. E., Di Cara, G., Mencaroni, E., & Verrotti, A. (2021). Therapeutic Options for Childhood
Absence Epilepsy. Pediatric Reports, 13(4), 658–667.
https://doi-org.libprox1.slcc.edu/10.3390/pediatric13040078

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393018&site=eds-live&scope=site

Sreedharan, M., Devadathan, K., Pathan, H. K., Chalipat, S., & Mohammed, K. P. A. (2018). Amantadine
for the Treatment of Refractory Absence Seizures in Children. Journal of Pediatric Neurosciences, 13(2),
131–136. https://doi-org.libprox1.slcc.edu/10.4103/jpn.JPN_51_17

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