My friend seems to be having a recurrence of temporal lobe epilepsy, but the only symptoms are occasional collapses with an associated muscle weakness. She exhibits none of the other symptoms of TLE - any ideas please

asks Snailspace:
A. It sounds like a form of epilepsy called 'atonic' seizures, where all the muscle tone is lost and she simply drops to the ground, but is able to get up straight away.� However, a diagnosis must be made by a doctor, and she should see hers as soon as possible.

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Q. Doesn't epilepsy mean having convulsions
A. Not always, although it's what most people associate with epilepsy. Epilepsy can be a small as a momentary loss of consciousness to a 'grand mal' fit with convulsions. It is one of the most misunderstood conditions today.

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Q. What is epilepsy
A. It is a brain disorder: a sudden interruption in the way brain cells work causes a seizure. It can affect absolutely anyone, regardless of their age, sex or intelligence.

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Q. What causes it
A. The main causes are brain damage at birth, premature birth, head injury, and an inherited predisposition.

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It's triggered by things such as alcohol, strobe lights, sound patterns, stress, fever and illegal drugs.

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Q. Why are people so afraid of it
A. Ignorance mainly. There are still cultures which believe that it's caused by demonic possession!

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However, there's still a stigma associated with epilepsy, so sufferers tend to keep quiet about it.

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Q. What are the different types of seizure
A. 'Partial seizures' only affect a small part of the brain. They can be 'simple partial seizures', where consciousness isn't lost, but there is some form of activity, such as twitching or a hallucination of a smell, vision or taste. 'Complex partial seizures' (temporal lobe epilepsy) are accompanied by a loss of consciousness�and abnormal behaviour, such as pulling at buttons, smacking lips or appearing to be drunk.

They can lead to 'generalised seizures' which affect the whole brain. They can be 'tonic-clonic' (grand mal) with loss of consciousness, body stiffening and then convulsing; 'myoclonic' - jerking movements in part of the body; 'tonic' - going stiff and falling; 'atonic' - falling limply; and 'absence' (petit mal) - loss of consciousness but no abnormal movements, as if daydreaming.

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Q. Where can I find out more
A. Visit the British Epilepsy Association website.

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By Sheena Miller

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