Absence seizure

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Absence seizures involve brief, sudden lapses of consciousness. They’re more common in children than in adults.

Someone having an absence seizure may look like he or she is staring blankly into space for a few seconds. Then, there is a quick return to a normal level of alertness. This type of seizure usually doesn’t lead to physical injury.

Absence seizures usually can be controlled with anti-seizure medications. Some children who have them also develop other seizures. Many children outgrow absence seizures in their teens.

An indication of simple absence seizure is a vacant stare, which may be mistaken for a lapse in attention that lasts about 10 seconds, though it may last as long as 20 seconds, without any confusion, headache or drowsiness afterward. Signs and symptoms of absence seizures include:

Afterward, there’s no memory of the incident. Some people have many episodes daily, which interfere with school or daily activities.

A child may have absence seizures for some time before an adult notices the seizures, because they’re so brief. A decline in a child’s learning ability may be the first sign of this disorder. Teachers may comment about a child’s inability to pay attention or that a child is often daydreaming.

Contact your doctor:

Contact 911 or emergency services in your area:

Many children appear to have a genetic predisposition to absence seizures.

In general, seizures are caused by abnormal electrical impulses from nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. The brain’s nerve cells normally send electrical and chemical signals across the synapses that connect them.

In people who have seizures, the brain’s usual electrical activity is altered. During an absence seizure, these electrical signals repeat themselves over and over in a three-second pattern.

People who have seizures may also have altered levels of the chemical messengers that help the nerve cells communicate with one another (neurotransmitters).

Certain factors are common to children who have absence seizures, including:

While most children outgrow absence seizures, some:

Other complications can include:

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Absence seizure

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