When a seizure begins in the<unk> <unk> , its effects depend on the precise location of its point of origin, its locus. In 1981, the ILAE recognized three types of seizures occurring in<unk> . The classification was based on EEG findings. However, as of 2017 the general classification of seizures has been revised. The newer classification uses three key features: where the seizures begin, the level of awareness during a seizure, and other features. Focal seizures MRI Location amygdala Focal seizures in the<unk> <unk>  involve small areas of the<unk>  such as the amygdala and hippocampus. The newer classification gives two types of focal onset seizures, as focal aware and focal impaired awareness. Focal aware seizures Focal aware means that the level of consciousness is not altered during the seizure. In<unk> , a focal seizure usually causes abnormal sensations only. Often, the patient cannot describe the sensations. These may be: * Sensations such as déjà vu (a feeling of familiarity), jamais vu (a feeling of unfamiliarity) * Amnesia of a single memory or set of memories * A sudden sense of unprovoked fear and anxiety * Nausea * Auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, or tactile hallucinations; olfactory hallucinations often seem indescribable to patients beyond "pleasant" or "unpleasant" * Visual distortions such as macropsia and micropsia * Dissociation or derealisation * Synesthesia (stimulation of one sense experienced in a second sense) * Dysphoric or euphoric feelings, fear, anger, and other emotions Focal aware seizures are often called "auras" when they serve as a warning sign of a subsequent seizure. Regardless, an aura is actually a seizure itself, and such a focal seizure may or may not progress to a focal impaired awareness seizure. People who experience only focal aware seizures may not recognize what they are, nor seek medical care. Focal impaired awareness seizures Focal impaired awareness seizures are seizures which impair consciousness to some extent: they alter the person's ability to interact normally with their environment. They usually begin with a focal aware seizure, then spread to a larger portion of the<unk> <unk> , resulting in impaired consciousness. They may include autonomic and psychic features present in focal aware seizures. Signs may include: * Motionless staring * Automatic movements of the hands or mouth * Confusion and disorientation * Altered ability to respond to others, unusual speech * Transient aphasia (losing ability to speak, read, or comprehend spoken word) These seizures tend to have a warning or aura before they occur, and when they occur they generally tend to last only 1–2 minutes. It is not uncommon for an individual to be tired or confused for up to 15 minutes after a seizure has occurred, although postictal confusion can last for hours or even days. Though they may not seem harmful, due to the fact that the individual does not normally seize, they can be extremely harmful if the individual is left alone around dangerous objects. For example, if a person with complex partial seizures is driving alone, this can cause them to run into the ditch, or worse, cause an accident involving multiple people. With this type, some people do not even realize they are having a seizure and most of the time their memory from right before or after the seizure is wiped. First-aid is only required if there has been an injury or if this is the first time a person has had a seizure. Focal to bilateral seizures or generalized seizures Seizures which begin in the<unk> <unk> , and then spread to involve both sides of the brain are termed focal to bilateral. Where both sides of the brain or the whole brain are involved from the onset, these seizures are known as generalized seizures and may be tonic clonic. The arms, trunk, and legs stiffen (the tonic phase), in either a flexed or extended position, and then jerk (the clonic phase). These were previously known as grand mal seizures. The word grand mal comes from the French term, meaning major affliction. Postictal period There is some period of recovery in which neurological function is altered after each of these seizure types. This is the postictal state. The degree and length of postictal impairment directly correlates with the severity of the seizure type. Focal aware seizures often last less than sixty seconds; focal with impaired awareness seizures may last up to two minutes; and generalized tonic clonic seizures may last up to three minutes. The postictal state in seizures other than focal aware may last much longer than the seizure itself. Because a major function of the<unk> <unk>  is short-term memory, a focal with impaired awareness seizure, and a focal to bilateral seizure can cause amnesia for the period of the seizure, meaning that the seizure may not be remembered. Complications Depression Individuals with<unk>  have a higher prevalence of depression than the general population. Although the psychosocial impacts of<unk>  may be causative, there are also links in the phenomenology and neurobiology of<unk>  and depression. Memory Hippocampus The<unk> <unk>  and particularly the hippocampus play an important role in memory processing. Declarative memory (memories which can be consciously recalled) is formed in the area of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus.<unk>  is associated with memory disorders and loss of memory. Animal models and clinical studies show that memory loss correlates with<unk> <unk>  neuronal loss in<unk> . Verbal memory deficit correlates with pyramidal cell loss in<unk> . This is more so on the left in verbal memory loss. Neuronal loss on the right is more prominent in non-verbal (visuospatial memory loss). Childhood onset After childhood onset, one third will "grow out" of<unk> , finding a lasting remission up to an average of 20 years. The finding of a lesion such as hippocampal sclerosis (a scar in the hippocampus), tumour, or dysplasia, on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) predicts the intractability of seizures. Personality The effect of<unk>  on personality is a historical observation dating to the 1800s. Personality and behavioural change in<unk>  is seen as a chronic condition when it persists for more than three months. Geschwind syndrome is a set of behavioural phenomena seen in some people with<unk> . Documented by Norman Geschwind, signs include: hypergraphia (compulsion to write (or draw) excessively), hyperreligiosity (intense religious or philosophical experiences or interests), hyposexuality (reduced sexual interest or drive), circumstantiality (result of a non-linear thought pattern, talks at length about irrelevant and trivial details). The personality changes generally vary by hemisphere. The existence of a<unk> <unk>  epileptic personality" and of Geschwind syndrome have been disputed and research is inconclusive.
Temporal lobe epilepsy
Frontal lobe epilepsy
Generalized epilepsy
Musicogenic epilepsy
Childhood absence epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy
Catamenial epilepsy
Northern epilepsy syndrome