who or why do the name of seizures change

[jyearta]

I was told in around 1972 that I have absence seizures ( staring, smacking lips, movement in hands, swallowing alot when coming out of the seizure) Anyway now --if I'm unstanding right these are now call absent partial.

What was once called grand mal seizure now are called cronic tonic.

Sorry, but I keep getting confused.

[Krista2882]

What was once called grand mal seizure now are called cronic tonic.

Actually, it's Tonic Clonic. I think it's just a more specific term as to what is actually happening. Grand Mal means "big bad" lol

[Rae1889]

Tonic means stiff, and clonic means jerk. So basically it more accurately describes the phases of the seizure.

Also what you seem to have now sound like complex partials. from what I understood absence seizures last 5-10 seconds and its literally a totally blank out. no movement. Atypical absences include blinking.

lip smacking and movements but semi or no awareness is a complex partial (meaning it only affects part of the brain instead of all, and includes complex movements)

[jyearta]

I have the lip smacking and hand movements, but I know where I'm at, who's talking and what they are saying. I just can not respond, I just stare.

[RachelinAZ]

I have the Tonic Clonics. Man don't tell my husband they mean "stiff jerk" hahahahaaa I am laughing. If ya can't laugh sometimes...

I was told of only two types (maybe she thought I had both? {my current family doctor thinks I might have the staring type.... as I have times when I remember nothing at all. A lot of times in the middle of the night, but day time as well} She only mentioned Grand Mal's to me.) The other being petit mals.
The words you guys use (plus there are a lot more types brought up here.... blew my mind!), confuses me... but I am trying to learn. I really do want to try to lean.

[Nakamova]

The classification system is confusing, but basically the names were changed to be more descriptive of what goes on during the particular seizure. Seizures are now classified into two basic groups, partial and generalized, and then there are sub-groups and sub-sub-groups:

I. PARTIAL SEIZURES:
-- A. Simple Partials
-- B. Complex Partials
-- C. Partial seizures evolving to secondarily generalized seizures

II: GENERALIZED SEIZURES
-- A. Absence seizures
-- B. Myoclonic seizures
-- C. Clonic seizures
-- D. Tonic seizures
-- E. Tonic-clonic seizures
-- F. Atonic seizures

More info (and the sub-sub-groups) found here:
http://professionals.epilepsy.com/pa...lassified.html