Re: Does anyone have similar eye activity?

[Guest guest]

This sounds like it could be an absence seizure-or petit mal? Here

is theinfo I found for you. was having someof these at one

time so it sounded familiar to me.

Dawn

Petit mal seizure

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

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Definition:

A petit mal seizure is a temporary disturbance of brain function

caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain and

characterized by abrupt, short-term lack of conscious activity

( " absence " ) or other abnormal change in behavior.

Alternative Names:

Seizure - petit mal; Absence seizure; Seizure - absence

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Petit mal seizures occur most commonly in people under age 20,

usually in children ages 6 to 12. They may occur in combination with

other types of seizures.

Typical petit mal seizures last only a few seconds, with full

recovery occurring rapidly and no lingering confusion. Such seizures

usually manifest themselves as staring episodes or " absence spells "

during which the child's activity or speech ceases.

The child may stop talking in mid-sentence or cease walking. One to

several seconds later, speech or activity resume. If standing or

walking, a child seldom falls during one of these episodes.

" Spells " can be infrequent or very frequent, occurring many times

per hour. Up to hundreds of seizures can occur in a single day. They

may occur for weeks to months before they are noticed. They can

interfere with school function and learning. Teachers may interpret

these seizures as lack of attention or other misbehavior.

Atypical petit mal seizures begin slower, last longer, and may have

more noticeable muscle activity than typical petit mal seizures.

There is usually no memory of the seizure.

No cause can usually be found for typical petit mal seizures. No

neurologic or other disorders are usually discovered. Atypical

seizures may or may not be associated with other neurologic

disorders.

Causes may be unidentifiable, or identified as congenital brain

abnormalities, complications of kidney or liver disease, or brain

injuries from trauma or birth complications. Sometimes, a family

history of seizures indicates a hereditary type of seizures.

Central nervous system

Review Date: 7/29/2002

Reviewed By: ph V. Campellone, M.D., Division of Neurology,

Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, NJ. Review

provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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[Guest guest]

, I would call his neurologist about it. It sounds like something

the neuro needs to be on top of.

Lynne

[Guest guest]

& all,

I have seen this behaviour in Chelsea as well, and was never sure if it was related to seizure activity or not. Chelsea has tonic and tonic clonic seizures, with an aura. Sometimes her eyes fix upward when she is going into a seizure, but most of the time they fix to the left, and then her head turns to the left. Her seizure activity originates from the right side of her brain.

She has had episodes similar to Kirkland, where her eyes will fix upward and she seems very agitated. She can usually respond to her name and will pull her eyes down and focus, but then they will roll back up. Sometimes I see this before a seizure, but more often after she has recovered from one. It usually only lasts a short while and playing soft classical music seems to help calm her.

I assumed it to be related to seizure activity, but after learning about Rett Syndrome, I believe it is more related to the symptom of apraxia. Apraxia (also dyspraxia) is the inability/loss of being able to coordinate purposeful movements, and is the most debilitating feature of Rett's. And also one of Chelsea's most debilitating issues.

She just saw an opthamologist, and her eyes are fine, except for being near sighted with astigmatism. When Chelsea is having seizures, she is usually under some sort of stress and most of her neuro sx's are worse for awhile. Other than these episodes, she seems to see fine, even without her glasses.

HTH

e, Chelsea's mom, atypical Rett Syndrome (FKA nonspecific mito)