Description

• Seizures occur when abnormal synchronous neuronal discharges in the brain cause transient cortical dysfunction.
• Focal or localization-related seizures have previously been referred to as partial seizures and originate from a discrete focus limited to one cerebral hemisphere.
• Focal seizures are further divided into aware versus unaware and motor versus nonmotor.
• Presence of impaired awareness is defined as the inability to respond normally to exogenous stimuli due to altered awareness and/or responsiveness:
  • Focal seizures with impairment of awareness (formerly “complex partial seizures”)
  • Focal seizures without impairment of awareness (formerly “simple partial seizures”)

Epidemiology

Prevalence
Focal seizures occur in 20/100,000 persons in the United States.

Etiology and Pathophysiology

• Focal seizures begin when a localized seizure focus produces an abnormal, synchronized depolarization within a neuronal network limited to one cerebral hemisphere; it may stay discretely localized or be widely distributed throughout that hemisphere.
• The area of cortex involved in the seizure determines the symptoms; for example, an epileptogenic focus in motor cortex produces contralateral motor symptoms.

Most common etiologies vary by life stage:

• Early childhood: developmental/congenital malformation, trauma
• Young adults: developmental, infection, trauma
• Adults 40 to 60 years of age: cerebrovascular insult, infection, trauma
• Adults >60 years of age: cerebrovascular insult, trauma, neoplasm

Genetics
Benign rolandic epilepsy; has an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern

Risk Factors

• History of traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Thiamine-deficient formula

Commonly Associated Conditions

Depression