Re: First-Time Seizures Around 40 yrs old Submitted by tino on Fri, 2007-07-20 01:30 i am 50 and i have recently been experiencing odd symptoms that a neuro diagnosed as simple partials, we have no history of this in our family and no reason i could think of that i would have this. A seizure may be an indication of epilepsy, but it can be caused by other reasons too. Seizures are a dramatic manifestation of a serious disturbance in brain activity. Atonic seizures (also known as drop attacks) are one of several types of seizures that can occur as a result of various underlying causes. Continued Causes of Epilepsy. About 30% occur in children. The most common cause of seizure activity in seniors is cerebrovascular disease, occurring more frequently as a consequence of a hemorrhagic stroke than the nonhemorrhagic type. Provoked seizure: An acute symptomatic seizure that occurs at the time of or within 7 days of an acute neurologic, systemic, metabolic, or toxic insult (Huff 2014). It's possible to have just one type of seizure, or more than one type. A diverse variety of conditions and disorders can precipitate seizure activity in adults. Diet. 2 ÜMost early seizures (i.e., <2 weeks) manifest within the first 24 to 48 hours of a stroke, and only a small percentage of patients develops epilepsy. But those … Your doctor can use medical tests to check for some underlying health conditions. [scald=251:sdl_editor_representation {"link":""}] The kind of seizure an older person may have depends on where the electrical disturbance takes place and how much of the brain is affected. Malnutrition and overnutrition may increase the risk of seizures. Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Evaluation of a First-Time Seizure,” “Diagnosing Seizures and Epilepsy.” Mayo Clinic: “Seizures,” “Vagus Nerve Stimulation.” American Academy of Neurology. Finding the cause of your seizures can take some time. Children and elderly adults are the ones most often affected. Definition: Excessive, abnormal cortical neuronal activity resulting in a variety of physical symptoms. “Atonic” means loss of muscle tone. In adults, the most common cause of a seizure, also known as a convulsion or fit, is epilepsy. Generalized seizures happen when waves of electrical activity swamp the whole brain at once. This type of seizure is also known as akinetic or drop seizures. What are seizures and what causes seizures? Definition: Excessive, abnormal cortical neuronal activity resulting in a variety of physical symptoms. Provoked seizure: An acute symptomatic seizure that occurs at the time of or within 7 days of an acute neurologic, systemic, metabolic, or toxic insult (Huff 2014). However, it can be caused by other things, including a head injury, alcohol poisoning, lack of oxygen, after taking certain drugs, or if someone with diabetes has a 'hypo' where their blood glucose is too low. 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