The goal of neurologic assessment of patients with seizures is to determine whether the problem is due to epilepsy or secondary to an active seizure disease. The latter condition requires the greatest effort to diagnose and treat, since the active cause must be found and eliminated in order to control the brain abnormality. Failure to do so will eventually result in failure of seizure control. On the other hand, in treating epilepsy, the effort can be concentrated upon controlling the seizure. This distinction is based upon whether the patient loses consciousness or not.
Generalized seizures can be idiopathic epilepsy, acquired epilepsy or active seizure disease.
On the other hand, partial-partial seizures or partial seizures which generalize can not be idiopathic epilepsy. Generalized-partial seizures are only seen as a form of idiopathic epilepsy in dachshunds and poodles. Therefore, while the classification of the seizure may not specify the nature of the seizure disorder, it can help narrow the possibilities. Symmetry of the seizure is important, too. Idiopathic epilepsy is always symmetrical, whether generalized or partial.