Talk:Focal seizure

Head

The information for the entire article is very thorough about the experience of what this type of seizure entails. However undr the heading Simple Partial Seizure and the subheading Eponym, there doesn't seem to be much information about what type of seizure it is. Only a small amount of info about the history is included. Some areas can go into deeper detail, such as the classifications from 2011 and when these focal seizures were first discovered. The sources seem to be a mix of old and new and from a variety of notable sources. Knowlin4 (talk) 20:00, 13 September 2016 (UTC)

unsourced

the following needs to be sourced per MEDRS

Treatment

Simple partial seizures can be benign and might not require to be treated. Complex partial seizures require to be treated. Conservative pharmacological therapy with antiepileptics is usually tried. Topiramate or valproic acid are preferable although all other current antiepileptics excepting ethosuximide, can be used in the treatment of complex partial seizures. Treatment of underlying cause is important. Surgery might be needed in certain cases.

In pregnant women

In pregnant women carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, and levetiracetam are usually used for control of focal seizures. Valproic acid, phenytoin, and phenobarbital are preferably avoided due to their teratogenic effects.

In children

In children focal seizures can occur due to diverse etiology. Hypoglycemia should not be overlooked as a possible cause.

Ancillary treatment options

Avoidance of sleep deprivation, alcohol, and excessive stress are important.

-- Jytdog (talk) 21:12, 5 November 2017 (UTC)

Head: clarification needed with regards to two hemispheres and four lobes

This sentence is the one that I think is a bit "untidy": "The brain is divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four lobes – the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes."

To be clear, are we talking about the cerebral cortex and its four lobes, or the two hemispheres in their entirety? Talking about the latter, I understand other parts, such as the thalamus, to be included. I don't know enough about epilepsy to feel comfortable changing it - for all I know the thalamus can also be involved in focal seizures - but I think some clarification is required with respect to what parts of the brain this actually refers to.

These would be my two proposed solutions:

"The brain is divided into two hemispheres, each consisting primarily of four lobes – the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes." Here the use of the word primarily allows for the inclusion of other structures.

or

"The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four lobes – the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes." I understand that cerebrum would refer to the four lobes and many subcortical structures, such as the hippocampus, which can indeed be involved in some types of epilepsy, making its inclusion important.

Anditres (talk) 20:03, 23 November 2020 (UTC)