If the area of the brain affected controls sight, hearing, or another of the senses, brief visual, auditory, or other hallucinations are experienced. The person retains consciousness in addition to the localized symptoms described above. During a typical complex partial seizure, the person appears to be conscious but is unresponsive, or inappropriately responsive, to his or her surroundings. He or she may perform purposeless activities, such as lip-smacking, picking at his or her clothing, or aimless wandering. This type of seizure may be brief, last for several hours, or progress to a generalized seizure.
Generalized seizures affect all of the brain.
Absence seizures consist of brief lapses of consciousness lasting usually 5 to 30 seconds. The person may stare blankly and appear to be daydreaming or experience slight movements of the facial muscles, head, or arms. When the seizure ends, the person resumes his or her previous activity and has no awareness of the seizure. Absence seizures commonly begin in childhood and may be as frequent as 50 to 100 a day or may occur only a few times a month. This type of seizure activity often resolves after puberty.