Gelastic seizure

Gelastic seizure is a rare type of seizure that involves a sudden burst of energy, usually in the form of laughing or crying. This condition can occur at any age, but it's more common in children and adolescents. Gelastic seizures are often associated with a type of hypothalamic hamartoma, a non-cancerous brain tumor.

Symptoms

The main symptom of a gelastic seizure is a sudden burst of laughter. The laughter usually lasts for a few seconds to a minute. The laughter is often described as being "empty" or "hollow," and it doesn't usually have a trigger. Other symptoms can include:

• Crying without any apparent reason
• Confusion after a seizure
• Fatigue or sleepiness after a seizure
• Muscle contractions or spasms
• Drooling or grimacing

Causes

Gelastic seizures are often caused by a hypothalamic hamartoma, a non-cancerous brain tumor. However, they can also be caused by other conditions, such as:

• Tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous tumors to form in many different organs
• Temporal lobe epilepsy, a chronic disorder of the nervous system
• Frontal lobe epilepsy, a type of epilepsy that originates in the frontal lobe of the brain

Diagnosis

Diagnosing gelastic seizures can be difficult because the symptoms can be mistaken for normal laughter or crying. The diagnosis is usually made based on the patient's medical history and a physical examination. Tests that can help confirm the diagnosis include:

• Electroencephalogram (EEG), a test that measures electrical activity in the brain
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a type of imaging test that uses magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the inside of the body
• Computed tomography (CT) scan, a type of imaging test that uses x-rays to create detailed pictures of the inside of the body

Treatment

Treatment for gelastic seizures usually involves medication to control the seizures. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove a hypothalamic hamartoma or other underlying cause of the seizures.

See also

• Epilepsy
• Seizure types
• Hypothalamic hamartoma

References

Gelastic seizure Resources
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