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Many people associate epilepsy with dramatic convulsions, but epileptic
seizures can be much more subtle. If your child has epilepsy, the neurology
experts at Children's Mercy go to the source to treat this complex disease.
INSIGHT INTO EPILEPSY
Each of the four major regions of the brain—
the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes—
controls a different set of mental and physical
processes. During an epileptic seizure, these
processes are disrupted. Many people associate
epilepsy with alarming physical convulsions, but
its effects can be much more varied and subtle.
"Epileptic seizures can arise in several areas
of the brain," says Ahmed T. Abdelmoity, MD,
Chief, Section of Epilepsy and Neurophysiology
at Children's Mercy and Associate Professor of
Pediatrics at UMKC School of Medicine. "The
outward signs of an epileptic seizure differ
depending on what part of the brain is affected."
TEMPORAL LOBES: CONTROL HEARING, SMELL,
EMOTIONAL PROCESSING, AND MEMORY
FORMATION AND STORAGE.
Seizures may involve:
• staring at a fixed point, similar to
daydreaming
• making involuntary, repetitive movements
such as lip smacking
• experiencing changes in personality
• tasting a metallic taste in the mouth
• smelling a bad odor that others do not smell.
FRONTAL LOBE: CONTROLS HIGHER MENTAL
FUNCTIONS AND INFORMATION PROCESSING,
SUCH AS PLANNING, DECISION MAKING, SOCIAL
BEHAVIOR AND SPEECH.
Seizures may involve:
• nocturnal body shaking
• odd behavior or abrupt change in behavior
• circular or pacing motion.
Frontal lobe seizures can progress to tonicclonic (grand mal), with loss of consciousness,
convulsions and drooling.
D ID YO U KN O W ?
• Contrary to com
mon belief, epileps
y is not contagious
• Epilepsy affects
.
nearly 3 million Am
ericans.
• In the United St
ates, almost 500 ne
w cases of epileps
are diagnosed ever
y
y day, 30 percent of
them in children.
• Some children ou
tgrow epilepsy as
their brains mature.
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Safe & Sound Fall 2013
