Absence

Absence (from the French absence - absence) is one of the types of epileptic seizures, characterized by a short-term loss of consciousness.

With absence seizure, a sudden short-term (up to 10-20 seconds) loss of consciousness occurs with the cessation of current activity and lack of response to external stimuli. At this time, the person experiences a frozen, absent gaze, and sometimes involuntary movements of the eyes or lips. After the attack, the patient continues the interrupted activity, often without even noticing that he has lost consciousness.

Absence seizures are most typical for the childhood form of epilepsy, usually beginning at the age of 5-12 years. The frequency of attacks can reach several dozen times a day, which significantly impairs the child’s attention and cognitive functions. Treatment consists of prescribing antiepileptic drugs to control seizures. In the absence of adequate treatment, persistent cognitive impairment may develop.

Absence (from the French absence - absence) is a term used in neurology as a synonym for epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease characterized by repeated seizures resulting from excessive neural discharges in the cerebral cortex. The main symptoms of an epileptic attack (absence) are a sudden short-term loss of consciousness with a disorder of movements and sensations.

The causes of epilepsy can be very different: head injuries, infections, brain tumors, hereditary factors. Diagnosis is based on analysis of symptoms and electroencephalography. The main methods of treatment are antiepileptic drugs and, in some cases, surgery.

Epileptic seizures can significantly impair the quality of life, so timely detection of the disease and adequate therapy under medical supervision are important.

Absence - Absence is a lack of consciousness that lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. This disorder can occur in children and adults at any age, although it is primarily seen in patients beginning in middle childhood and is more common in men than women.

*In terms of the causes of absence seizures, the causes are hereditary and acquired.*

Hereditary causes are called **familial absence seizures** and can be caused by genetic mutations responsible for the development of uncontrollable muscle contractions in the brain (also known as seizures)

Unlike children, acquired absence seizures (epilepsy) are characterized by repeated episodes, and the attacks themselves can last for years and end spontaneously. During an epileptic attack, as convulsive contractions occur inside the brain, absence begins quickly and suddenly - the frontal limbs suddenly drop, the hands clench into fists very quickly, and the body completely freezes. Throughout the episode, the patient's visual abilities remain fully functional, except when accompanied by a typical head tilt. This tilt is often accompanied by a grimace, characteristic of uncontrollable convulsions, which in a child can last up to several seconds. When the attack ends, “post-absence enhancement” occurs, characterized by headache, fatigue and drowsiness. This usually occurs immediately after the attack and may be accompanied by slight memory loss. In some people, after absence episodes, non-essential (allergen- or infection-caused) headaches, allergies, memory loss, and so on may occur.

It is important to note that absenteeism is not a real brain disorder, it is only a temporary situation that goes away on its own