Could you expand more on myoclonic seizures? Are they any different from what people call muscle spasms or shivers? I’m trying to research but I don’t want to accidentally use ableist recourses
This is not seizurism! (This is a question)
Hi anon 👋 thank you for the question
A myoclonic seizure presents as a quick, uncontrollable jerk (or cluster of jerks) of the muscle or a muscle group.
So it can be difficult to tell the difference!
Everyone at some point experiences myoclonus (for example hiccups or that jump you feel when you’re about to fall asleep)
These are harmless.
Myoclonic seizures are different and present in Epileptic or nonepileptic patients.
In Epilepsy the cause is due to generalized abnormal electrical discharge and can be a sign of an impending tonic clonic.
In Epileptic patients it’s highly associated with forms of epilepsy such as Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME), Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut, and Dravet Syndrome.
It can also be associated with FND, PNES, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, encephalitis, meningitis, metabolic issues.
There are also two types of it:
Positive: Incredibly similar to a muscle spasm
Negative: Essentially results in your muscle(s) relaxing. This can cause you or something you’re holding to drop.
Diagnosis can only be determined by a neurologist who will typically run a video EEG as it is very hard to tell the difference.
Resources:
Cleveland Clinic
John Hopkins
Mayo Clinic
Epilepsy Foundation
Epilepsy Syndromes
