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Highlights & Basics
- Absence seizures are characterized by abrupt cessation of activity and responsiveness with minimal, if any, associated movements.
- A typical absence seizure comprises behavioral arrest or staring, lasting 5 to 10 seconds, interrupting otherwise normal activity. It may be hyperventilation-induced.
- Atypical absence seizures have a less distinct beginning and end, and are not usually precipitated by hyperventilation.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) is the definitive test. Determining the exact nature of the seizure is key to the appropriate treatment and prognosis.
- Most typical absence seizures are medically responsive, and childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) tends to remit by adulthood. Typical absence seizures in CAE, juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE), and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) are usually treated with ethosuximide or valproic acid as first-line therapy, with choice of treatment depending on whether other seizure types are present.
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