How are seizures classified? And has there been a change in their names?
Many people have heard the terms “grand mal” and “petit mal” seizures. However, a new identification system, The International Classification of Epilepsy Seizures, that more precisely defines specific types of epilepsy is now used. The two broad categories, partial and generalized, refer to whether the seizure originates in one part of the brain or the entire brain. Tonic-clonic seizures, formerly grand mal, are characterized by convulsions; generalized absence seizures, which were known as petit mal, involve very brief lapses in consciousness and typically affect children. During complex-partial seizures, or temporal lobe epilepsy, the person appears dazed and exhibits involuntary behavior known as “automatisms,” such as random walking or mumbling.
