title: Is the first seizure truly epileptic?
abstract: Transient loss of consciousness (T-LOC) with abnormal posture or movements reflects a temporary dysfunction of the brain, either primary or secondary. In a period of high technological medical access, patients with T-LOC constitute a challenge to improve the medical "art of listening." The difficulty in dealing with isolated paroxysmal phenomena is associated with the probability of the occurrence of a second event and therefore the entrance of the patient into a chronic disorder. We present a detailed analysis of symptoms that should help the general practitioner in the differential diagnosis among three main entities in the adult populations: syncope, epileptic seizure, and psychogenic seizure (dissociative convulsion).
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy and EEG Unit, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland. Stephen.Perrig@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perrig
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jallon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000175:diagnosis; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017034:Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020187:REM Sleep Behavior Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D020923:REM Sleep Parasomnias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013575:Syncope / Q000175:diagnosis