What is a seizure, and what does a seizure look like?
A seizure is a sudden, spontaneous and excessive discharge of brain cells that causes a temporary change in behavior or a loss of control of all or part of the body. A change in consciousness may also occur during a seizure. Seizures can have many characteristics. A seizure may affect a person’s sight, sense of smell, taste, emotion, movement, or memory. A person having a seizure cannot will his or her body to stop movements or activities, or respond to instructions. The extent to which normal activities are affected depends on how much of the brain is involved in the seizure. Abnormal electrical activity limited to a part of the brain is called a partial seizure. Seizure activity that involves the entire brain from the outset is called a generalized seizure. Seizures that begin in a part of the brain and spread to involve the entire brain are called secondarily generalized seizures.
