NOTE: I AM NOT A MEDICAL DOCTOR.
Epilepsy is common. It's estimated that 1 in 26 people develops the disorder, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Epilepsy affects people of all genders, races, ethnic backgrounds and ages.
Seizure symptoms can vary widely. Some people may lose awareness during a seizure but others don't. Some people stare blankly for a few seconds during a seizure. Others may repeatedly twitch their arms or legs, movements known as convulsions or spasms.
[I note that last because in both episodes McConnell had his hands clenched on the lectern and standers-by had to a little bit pry him off. One doctor, I believe Sanjay Gupta, remarked on that as of some significance to him. See below.]
Having a single seizure doesn't mean you have epilepsy. Epilepsy is diagnosed if you've had at least two unprovoked seizures at least 24 hours apart. Unprovoked seizures don't have a clear cause.
Most people with epilepsy tend to have the same type of seizure each time. Symptoms are usually similar from episode to episode.
Symptoms
Seizure symptoms vary depending on the type of seizure. Because epilepsy is caused by certain activity in the brain, seizures can affect any brain process. Seizure symptoms may include:
- Temporary confusion.
- A staring spell.
- Stiff muscles.
...
Focal seizures with impaired awareness.
Once called complex partial seizures, these seizures involve a change or loss of consciousness or awareness. This type of seizure may seem like being in a dream. During a focal seizure with impaired awareness, people may stare into space and not respond in typical ways to the environment. They also may perform repetitive movements, such as hand rubbing, chewing, swallowing or walking in circles.
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...doctors said that the spells appeared most consistent with focal seizures...
...spells like Mr. McConnell’s would not preclude most patients from working or socializing normally, doctors said.
“Seizures have a stigma in our society, and that’s unfortunate because these are very brief electrical interruptions in behavior,” said Dr. Jeffrey Saver, a professor of neurology at U.C.L.A. “Between those rare episodes, which are usually well controlled with medicines, people function perfectly normally.”
...
Many patients function completely normally and show normal brain wave activity between seizures, allowing them to remain active and working
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Some seizures are provoked by triggers like abnormal blood sugar levels. But if someone has had two seizures that cannot be explained in that way, neurologists said that would typically be enough for a diagnosis of epilepsy, a common neurological disorder affecting more than three million Americans that can arise at any age.
(NYT Sept. 1)
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Causes
Head trauma. Head trauma as a result of a car accident or other traumatic injury can cause epilepsy.
Risk factors
Certain factors may increase your risk of epilepsy:
• Age. The onset of epilepsy is most common in children and older adults, but the condition can occur at any age.
Head injuries. Head injuries are responsible for some cases of epilepsy. You can reduce your risk by wearing a seat belt while riding in a car and by wearing a helmet while bicycling, skiing, riding a motorcycle or engaging in other activities with a high risk of head injury.
(Mayo Clinic)
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The Connection Between TBI [Traumatic Brain Injury] and Epilepsy
TBIs can also cause epilepsy and seizures.
[McConnell fell (see below) and suffered a concussion.]
Epilepsy is a broad term used for a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. There are many types of epilepsy and there are also many different kinds of seizures . TBIs can cause a seizure right after the injury happens or even months or years later. Researchers agree that the more severe the TBI, the greater the chance the person may develop epilepsy. [McConnell's was not severe so far as we know.]
Age and other medical conditions may also play a role in whether someone develops epilepsy after a TBI.
The terms post-traumatic epilepsy and post-traumatic seizures are both used to describe seizures that happen because of a TBI. A CDC-funded study found that among people aged 15 years and older hospitalized for TBI, about 1 in 10 developed epilepsy in the following 3 years.
[I believe McConnell was hospitalized.]
How to Prevent TBI and Epilepsy:
Help prevent falls, especially in older adults and young children
(CDC)
