Temporal Lobe Seizures in Epileptics

Temporal lobe seizures are classified as a type of partial seizure usually relating to individuals who have epilepsy. The known and common causes relating to this disorder are either from a head injury or meningitis. The seizure is located deep in a part of what is known as the temporal lobe, this area of the brain handles memory and emotional aspects.

Temporal lobe seizures are categorized as a type of epilepsy that is either a complex or simple partial seizure. The simple seizures the individual will still be aware of his or her surrounding environment, but can experience other types of symptoms such as the olfactory sense. Complex type seizures will cause the individual to become disabled. The individual will not be aware of his or her surroundings and may seem to be in a type of daze. In many cases this type of seizure will cause the individual to perform repetitive movements such as continuous scratching or licking lips.

The intensity levels of temporal lobe seizures will differ in each individual. The individual will run through a range of experiences and emotions lasting either a couple of seconds or even minutes, this is known as "auras".

MRI (Magnetic Resource Imaging) is one of the only effective methods used today to study the temporal lobe and identify lesions. This method has proved to increase the rate of success in surgeries. The use of EEG is not a useful method in order to diagnose this particular epilepsy.

Anti-seizure medication is prescribed in treating temporal lobe seizures, and is effective in assisting complete or near complete control over seizure attacks. Alternative treatments for the disorder will include Nerve Stimulation (Vagus) or surgical procedures.

New Method in Surgery

The standard procedure relating to surgery for the temporal lobe would be to remove the hippocampus. However, this is not a desirable option due to the fact that the hippocampus relates to a source of stem cells which play an important role in healing the brain after an injury or minor stroke. In addition disruptions in the way these cells function can contribute to symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and depression.

Patients who pose a high risk in memory loss are not candidates for this type of procedure. However, a procedure known as MHT (Multiple Hippocampal Transection) is new way for doctors to treat temporal lobe seizures. This procedure is a far better  option for individuals who suffer from these seizures.

Understanding Lissencephaly: A Smooth Brain Disorder

Most people have not heard about this cephalic disorder, but Lissencephaly, translation "smooth brain", is a condition in which the brain does not develop and form normally. Medically speaking, "gyri" or brain folds as well as "sulci" or grooves are both lacking due to certain neuronal migration activity that occurs within the 12th week up to the 24th week of gestation.

The physical appearance of the brain is going to be different, hence the nickname for this medical condition. A delay in development is going to accompany this condition, but the severity of this delay varies widely and is attributed to the severity of deformation of the brain as well as severity of seizures in relation to the condition of the brain.

Life expectancy for individuals suffering from smooth brain disorder can be hindered for a variety of reasons, chiefly respiratory issues over time. A similar brain disorder, polymicrogyria, can sometimes be confused with lissencephaly, so there are a conjunction of symptoms that radiologists look for in order to make sure the diagnosis is correct.

Cerebral abnormalities can also of course be detected by more in depth ultrasounds prior to birth. Of course this has to be in conjunction with other examinations post birth. The ultrasound before birth can detect these abnormalities as early as week 20. Before this week, the brain looks smooth anyway so it would be impossible to tell.

In recent years, more insight has been developed concerning this disease thanks to genetic studies as well as neuroimaging. There are actually a total of 20 different types of this condition that make up the entire smooth brain disorder. Continued research searches for other causes as well as treatment options. There is a possibility that children continue to develop normally and function normally all through life, but many of them also suffer from severe mental retardation and end up stopping development at about the five month level.

This means that many children are left unable to walk or even move around much and of course not able to speak. However, with the advancements that have been made, life expectancy has increased in general and children are able to see further development in many cases. Treatment for each individual does differ due to the types of symptoms so this will be discussed with the doctor and communicated to you. As more is discovered about smooth brain disorder, prognosis will likely continue to get better as it has done in recent years.

Recognizing And Dealing With Seizure Warning Signs

Seizures are related to many different conditions, such as epilepsy, and there are many triggers and warning signs associated with them that you can watch for. These seizure warning signs include behaviors, physical signs, environmental factors and much more. In addition, people often experience individual warning signs prior to seizures occurring, such as a specific smell or taste.

Identifying common seizure warning signs as well as recognizing personal triggers can help prevent seizures as well as help you and others around you manage them better. Seizures can be mild or severe, and grand mal seizures are the most severe. Sometimes these seizures can have behavioral issues that are triggers even several hours prior to the seizure occurring. This can be very helpful when it comes to preventing seizures. In this case, the doctor should be contacted to see if perhaps an immediate extra dose of the medication could help. 

When the trigger is a certain smell that occurs, sometimes this can be offset by having the person who is about to experience the seizure sniff garlic or another really strong odor. Another type of seizure is called the Jacksonian seizure, and the attack can sometimes be stopped in the process by having someone massage the twitching muscles.

A person should avoid alcohol if they are prone to having seizures. If your seizures are a common occurrence, you need to definitely learn from them so that you can identify personal triggers, which will help yourself try to get them under control. A seizure is the result of an excessive amount of activity in the brain. While many conditions and situations aren't completely curable, with the right medication and awareness about lifestyle and warning triggers and signs, seizures can be manageable to an extent.

The areas of the brain affected often determine the types of seizures and the behaviors during them. Simple seizures are episodes where the patient is left conscious, but complex seizures are episodes where the person often loses consciousness. Experiencing warning signs in relation to grand mal seizures hours before was discussed in an earlier paragraph. Did you know that in some cases the warning signs can happen even days before the attack? And, sometimes there is absolutely no warning when a seizure occurs. However, knowing the many seizure warning signs is going to give you the best chance to help you manage and possibly overcome your condition.

Symptoms and Causes of Having a Seizure in Sleep

It has been proven that when an individual experiences abnormal electrical activity in the brain, this can lead to seizures when awake or a seizure in sleep. The seizure is a transmission disturbances relating to impulses that are sent from the brain resulting in behavioral changes. Seizures will cause the individual to experience spasms, jerky movements and sensory and emotional changes.

When a seizure has been diagnosed as a chronic type of seizure it will be called epilepsy. When a seizure is caused from an extremely high fever located in the area of the brain it will be called a type of febrile seizure. Febrile seizures can lead to a host of problems such as brain infections, cerebral palsy, internal bleeding located in the area of the brain, trauma and even disorders of the metabolism.

Certain individuals who experience a seizure while sleeping will undergo convulsions. However, convulsions are not a common occurrence for individuals who undergo a seizure. The symptoms of a seizure will vary greatly from one individual to another and the affected side in the brain. Generalized types of seizures will usually occur in individuals who present a problem with both parts of their brains.

When an individual has a partial seizure, only one side of the brain will be affected. For the majority of individuals who suffer from a seizure, the seizure will occur in an awake state. For some individuals seizure in sleep is a more common occurrence.

This type of seizure is classified or better known as a nocturnal seizure, the seizure will occur in any stage of a sleep pattern.  These stages can include REM which is known as (Rapid Eye Movement), light sleep or even deep sleep. The seizure occurs due to the change in patterns relating to the individuals brain waves as they move from one stage in their sleep pattern onto another.

These seizures occur in children and adults and are more common in the stages of light sleeping. This is the stage just before the individual moves into a deeper sleep or the stage just before waking up. The individual will experience jerky movements, spasms, deep breathing and a stiffness of the limbs. In many cases of seizure in sleep the individual will not even remember or be aware of the seizure and wake feeling drowsy or with an extensive headache.

How To Differentiate Psychological Seizures From Epileptic Ones

Psychological seizures or non-epileptic attack disorders are very similar to epileptic seizures, therefore they are often misdiagnosed and treated with the wrong drugs. There are estimations that show 20% of seizure patients diagnosed with epilepsy don't respond to the treatment given to them by their doctors, the reason being that they don't suffer from epilepsy in the first place.

There are some physical clues which can help specialist tell psychological seizures from epilepsy ones, but sometimes these clues can be misleading. One of the most relevant is the eye movements during the seizure. A study done by the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona revealed that almost all patients who had a non-epileptic seizure had their eyes closed during the event, while almost all those who suffered epileptic seizures either had their eyes opened or blinked during the whole time. These findings are interesting, but they still need to be confirmed. Being able to differentiate early between the two types of seizures is very important, as it could prevent many failed treatments caused by the fact that patients receive drugs for a condition they don't actually suffer from.

The main difference between psychological seizures and epileptic ones is the absence of the electrical discharges in the brain that are characteristic for epilepsy sufferers. The differential diagnosis starts by ruling out epilepsy, migraine, stroke, vertigo or syncope as possible causes of the seizures.

The best method to rule out epilepsy is to record the electrical signals in the brain. This is done with a video-electroencephalogram, also known as EEG. Sensors are place don the patient's scalp, then their EEG is recorded while they are also videotaped. This test is usually done over a period of several days, in order to allow time for the seizures to occur. It is important that the patient is also recorded on video, because the EEG test can give lots of false positives in both the general population and in patients suffering from other psychiatric disorders that are characterized by seizures similar to psychological ones such as panic disorders or schizophrenia.

Although highly relevant, many times this test is skipped by neurologists, who directly put their patients on epilepsy drugs. If a patient doesn't respond to a certain drug, the specialists then tries different drugs, but none of them is successful in the end, since the patient doesn't suffer from epilepsy.

Understanding Postpartum Anxiety

Postpartum Anxiety is a condition that affects women after having given birth. The syndrome is similar to PPD (Postpartum Depression) in that it is a direct result of the fluctuating hormones, but present in different ways and with different symptoms. Where as a woman with PPD will experience listlessness and almost paralyzing sadness, a woman with Postpartum Anxiety will experience panic, rapid pulse, anger, paranoia and in some cases headaches and restlessness. 

In many cases both conditions, postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety present together with the patient experiencing moments of deep sadness followed by moments of terror and anxiety with a feeling of impending doom. Because so little focus has been placed on anxiety disorders that affect women postpartum, in many cases physicians mistakenly consider anxiety symptoms as  a part of PPD. This is a mistake, as the treatment for depression will do nothing to alleviate feelings of deep anxiety and fear experienced by women with postpartum anxiety.

Because depression is treated with medications that act as 'uppers', the affect on an already anxious person can be catastrophic with the medications leading to more severe symptoms and a higher anxiety level. Anxiety medications on the other hand act as downers, relaxing and numbing the individual to help minimize stress  and help the new mother relax in her surroundings. Because of the major differences in the conditions educating medical professionals on the differences and dangers of misdiagnosing Postpartum Anxiety is very important.

Education is also important for mothers to be being aware of the symptoms related to anxiety disorders is the first step to getting help. Although most people have heard of and are cautioned by their physicians about PPD, no mention is made of postpartum anxiety. This leads to many women suffering needlessly, some even suffering debilitating panic attacks and being unable to sleep due to the intensity of the anxiety. Because their doctors see them as being upbeat and not depressed they receive no treatment and no relief.

On the other hand, if the problem is diagnosed correctly, proper medication can be used to completely alleviate the symptoms of the condition. This can be done using a low dose of anti-anxiety medication daily. Amazingly, treatment tends to be much easier for many women than finding the diagnosis.

Postpartum Anxiety, the forgotten sibling of Postpartum Depression, is a serious and debilitating disorder that affects mothers soon after giving birth. Recognizing the symptoms and seeking help is the first step to alleviating the symptoms of this exhausting condition.

What Are The Main Panic Disorder Diagnostic Criteria

Panic disorder is a condition which involves recurrent unexpected panic attacks which cause the sufferer concern and distress, and cause a significant change in the behaviour of the patient. Panic attacks which are caused by a quantifiable outside source, such as medication, are not considered to cause panic disorder.

The key panic disorder diagnostic criteria are considered to be the occurrence of some or all of the following symptoms. The symptoms tend to develop suddenly and reach a peak within a few minutes:

• Palpitations or a greatly increased heart rate
• Sweating
• Shaking or trembling
• Feelings of being smothered or short of breath
• Choking sensation
• Chest pain
• Nausea or stomach pain
• Dizziness
• Feeling detached or as if your surroundings are not real
• Fear of loss of control
• Fear of death
• Numbness and tingling
• Hot or cold flushes

Patients who meet four or more of the above described panic disorder diagnostic criteria are considered to have a panic disorder under the DSM-IV. The diagnostic criteria may be altered slightly under future versions of the DSM, however they are unlikely to change significantly.

The most common symptom of a panic attack is an accelerated heart rate, which is reported by 97% of patients. Dizziness is the second most common symptom, and paresthesias (numbness and tingling) is the third most common symptom. A patient must have multiple panic attacks, and must have persistent concern over the possibility of future attacks, for the attacks to be classified as part of a disorder.

In some cases, a patient may suffer from panic attacks but not be diagnosed as having panic disoder, because the attacks can be accounted for by a different disorder. For example, someone with Social Phobia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or a Specific Phobia may suffer from panic attacks as a result of their condition. In this case, the attack can be accounted for by exposure to a feared or discomfiting situation. Such sufferers can often learn to manage their panic attacks as a part of learning to cope with their existing condition.

Panic disorder is a serious but manageable condition that can affect both adults and children. If you think that you or someone you know suffers from panic disorder, seek advice from a qualified medical professional as soon as possible and explain which panic disorder diagnostic criteria you feel they meet. In many cases, people with panic disorder can learn to control their condition and go on to lead relatively normal lives with outside assistance.