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.