Seizures following an Acquired Brain Injury - Headway

Seizures following an Acquired Brain Injury
Following a brain injury it is relatively common
for someone to experience seizures.
Approximately 30% of all individuals suffering
a head injury develop seizures and 80% of the
time they occur within the first 2 years.
Seizures may develop immediately after an
injury to the brain or may develop in a delayed
fashion, occurring months or sometimes years
after the injury. The risk of having seizures
following a brain injury is related to the severity
of the injury - the more severe the injury, the
higher the risk of developing seizures. A
person may experience more than one type of
seizure, but the pattern of seizure tends to
remain fairly constant and individual.
There are many kinds of seizures and they are
not uncommon among the general population
where they generally go under the common
term epilepsy.
Seizures are thought to be a result of abnormal
electrical activity in the brain. When a brain
injury occurs it is believed that pathways to the
brain are disrupted causing a short circuit
which can result in a seizure. They can also
develop due to the initial brain swelling or can
occur following the formation of scar tissue in
the healing process.
There are several types of seizures including:
Generalised seizures – can occur throughout
the brain and the entire body
Absence seizures – can occur suddenly and
the person can become non-responsive. The
seizure can produce periods when the person
stares with occasional rapid blinking.
Tonic/Clonic (also known as Grand Mal)
seizures – occurs with contraction of the
muscles (tonic phase) which can involve
tongue biting, urinary incontinence and
the absence of breathing. This is followed
by rhythmic muscle contractions (clonic
phase)
Atonic seizures – abrupt seizures with
loss of muscle tone especially in neck and
head area causing the person to fall to the
ground with a rapid recovery period.
Partial seizures – begin in one specific area
of the brain and produce symptoms affecting
one part of the body such as twitching or a
tremor.
Simple partial or focal seizures – no loss of
consciousness and results in localised
jerks, twitches or posture changes
Complex partial or psychomotor seizures –
the onset can vary from bizarre behaviour,
fear, anxiety or inappropriate gestures
Continuous seizures (Status epilepticus) –
result in continuous seizure activity with no
recovery time. These seizures can be life
threatening if convulsive.
The most commonly seen seizures related to
traumatic brain injury are Tonic-Clonic
seizures.
Seizures can be triggered through a
number of factors:
• Inadequate anticonvulsant medication
• Trauma or illness
• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Poor diet
• Substance use - alcohol or drugs
• Hormonal changes – pregnancy or
menstrual cycle
• Exposure to flickering light
Copyright Headway Ireland, 2007. This is one of a range of factsheets made available by Headway. We have taken great care to ensure all information is accurate but these factsheets are
only intended as a guide and recommend that medical or professional support should be sought. Headway will not be held responsible for any injuries or damages that arise from following
the information provided in these factsheets.
Information and Support Helpline
1890 200 278
Mon-Fri (9am to 5pm)

Diagnosing Seizures and Epilepsy
To confirm that a person is having seizure
activity, the doctor will need to conduct a
number of tests.
A blood test will check the general health of a
person and exclude any substances such as
drugs that may cause a seizure; a brain scan
will reveal any structural cause for the seizure
and an Electroencephalogram (EEG)
measures the electrical activity of the brain
surface.
Seizure Treatment
The main treatment for seizures is
anticonvulsant medication which acts to
prevent the spread of abnormal electrical
activity from one nerve cell to another. There
are a number of different drugs on the market,
but the key is finding the one that is right for
you.
When starting a course of medication it may
take several days for the drug level to build up
to a level in the bloodstream at which it
becomes effective. In order for anticonvulsants
to work the prescribed dose needs to be taken
consistently according to your doctor’s
instruction and blood tests will be taken at
regular intervals to check the drug level in the
bloodstream.
What to do when a person has a seizure
• Stay calm – if you panic the person may
become agitated
• Make sure any tight clothing around the
neck is loosened, including necklaces
• Move dangerous objects away from the
person
• Check that nothing is obstructing their
breathing
• Put something soft under the person’s
head to prevent injury.
• Following the convulsion, turn the person
onto their left side and into the recovery
position.
• Call an ambulance if the convulsion lasts
longer than five minutes, if the person is
having repeated convulsions, is hurt or the
seizure is different in any way.
• Remain with them until they have fully
recovered.
• Using a gentle and reassuring voice repeat
instructions to the individual until you are
certain that they have understood.
• If the person suddenly moves away,
accompany them until they respond – if the
person wanders gently guide them
• Do not place anything in the person’s
mouth.
• Do not restrict any convulsive movements
as you may hurt the person or yourself.
• Do not try to rouse the person.
• Do not restrain the person unless there is
immediate physical danger e.g. fire, water
or traffic.
• Do not move the person unless s/he is in a
dangerous place e.g. in the road or at the
top of a stairs
• Do not add to the person’s distress by
saying “what a fright you gave us” etc
• Do not give the person anything to drink
until you are sure that they are fully awake.
Copyright Headway Ireland, 2007. This is one of a range of factsheets made available by Headway. We have taken great care to ensure all information is accurate but these factsheets are only
intended as a guide and recommend that medical or professional support should be sought. Headway will not be held responsible for any injuries or damages that arise from following the
information provided in these factsheets.
Information and Support Helpline
1890 200 278
Mon-Fri (9am to 5pm)