Động kinh từ gợi lên một cái gì đó khá đáng sợ và không mong muốn trong tâm trí của hầu hết mọi người, vì những e ngại được tạo ra trong tất cả chúng ta khi ai đó tạm thời mất kiểm soát của cơ thể của mình, đặc biệt là nếu tình trạng bất tỉnh, phong trào bạo lực và thông tin liên lạc bị suy giảm có liên quan. | CHAPTER 12 Epilepsy 12 Introduction and definitions The word epilepsy conjures up something rather frightening and undesirable in most people s minds because of the apprehension created in all of us when somebody temporarily loses control of his body especially if unconsciousness violent movement and impaired communication are involved. Epilepsy is the word used to describe a tendency to episodes in which a variety of clinical phenomena may occur caused by abnormal electrical discharge in the brain between which the patient is his normal self. What actually happens to the patient in an epileptic attack depends upon the nature of the electrical discharge in particular upon its location and duration. The most major form of epilepsy is the generalized tonic-clonic seizure which involves sudden unconsciousness and violent movement often followed by coma. This form of seizure has traditionally been called grand mal. Unless otherwise stated mention of an epileptic attack would generally infer the occurrence of a tonic-clonic seizure. Amongst patients and doctors a single epileptic attack may be called an epileptic fit a fit an epileptic seizure an epileptic convulsion or a convulsion. The words tend to be used synonymously. This is a somewhat inaccurate use of words since a convulsion violent irregular movement is one component of some forms of epilepsy. There is also a confusing tendency for older patients and doctors to use the traditional term petit mal for any form of epilepsy which is not too massive or prolonged. Petit mal originally had a rather restricted and specific meaning which has been lost over time we describe the modern terminology in the following sections. Patients and their families very often use softer words other than epilepsy fits seizures or convulsions which is quite natural. Within families words like blackout episode funny do attack blank spell dizzy turn fainting spell trance daze and petit mal abound when describing epileptic attacks. .
