Simple Partial

• Presentation: Varied presentation dependent on which part of the cortex is affected

• Duration: 20 to 60 seconds

• Consciousness: Preserved.

Complex Partial

• Presentation: Presentation incluces purposeless movement, e.g. lip smacking

• Duration: 30 to 60 seconds

• Consciousness: Impaired

Partial with Secondarily Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures

• Presentation: Simple or complex partial becomes a tonic-clonic generalized seizure (tonic general muscular contractions) with alternating contractions and relaxations.

• Duration: one- two minutes

• Consciousness: Loss of Consciousness

Absence Seizures

• Presentation: Abrupt onset: staring and stopping activities

• Duration: less than 30 seconds

• Consciousness: Impaired

Myoclonic Seizures

• Presentation: One or two brief shocklike muscle contractions; generalized or restricted to one limb

• Duration: very brief

• Consciousness: Preserved

Tonic-Clonic Seizures

• Presentation: generalized seizure (tonic general muscular contractions) with alternating contractions and relaxations.

• Duration: one- two minutes

• Consciousness: Loss of Consciousness

McNamara, J.O., Drugs Effective in the Therapy of the Epilepsies In, Goodman and Gillman's The Pharmacologial Basis of Therapeutics, (Hardman, J.G, Limbird, L.E, Molinoff, P.B., Ruddon, R.W, and Gilman, A.G., eds) TheMcGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,1996, pp.462.