The circumstances surrounding the occurrence of seizures may contribute to the overall evaluation and may help differentiate seizures from other causes of altered consciousness and behavior.
Some seizures occur only at night.
Others occur only in response to stimuli such as flashing lights, certain strains of music, or specific patterns. This is termed reflex or sensory-evoked epilepsy. Most seizures last less than three minutes. Absence seizures usually last less than 30 seconds. The initial events of the seizure often offer the best clue for determining the seizure type as well as the anatomical location of the origin of the seizure.