Types of Seizures

Types of Seizures

According to the International League Against Epilepsy, which is an international panel of leading seizure experts, there are roughly 30 types of seizures. Most seizure disorders fall into one of two types of seizures:

Focal seizures
Also known as partial seizures, focal seizures make up about 60 percent of the types of seizures patients typically experience. They affect a specific part of the brain and are more common in adults than generalized seizures.

Generalized seizures
Generalized seizures, which affect the entire brain, account for about 30 percent of seizure disorders. In most cases, generalized seizures are associated with a normal-appearing brain without any apparent structural abnormality. Some forms of generalized seizure can be associated with brain abnormalities that might be caused by a brain infection, a brain injury or lack of oxygen.

Unknown-onset seizures
Seizures are usually classified as unknown-onset seizures when information about onset is lacking. If clinicians acquire more information about the seizures, these seizures may be reclassified as focal-onset or generalized-onset.