Focal seizures are the neurological conditions that can affect any individual and these are not contagious. However, specific conditions that cause focal seizures are genetic. Generally there are two types of seizures, focal seizures and generalized seizures. Focal seizures just affect one side of the brain and body and it is considered to be less severe than generalized seizures that affect both sides of the brain and body of an individual. Focal seizures are the common type of seizures with epilepsy and also known as partial seizures caused by head injuries, brain stroke, trauma, birth abnormalities, infection in the brain etc.

These happen due to abnormal neutrons in a certain part of the brain. When a person experiences focal seizures he/she usually remains conscious and aware during seizures. There are certain ways and medication for focal seizure treatment however, monotherapy with anticonvulsant medication is the initial and preferred treatment. Although, the choice of medicines must be tailored to the needs of the patient. Considering factors such as age, sex and comorbidities.

What Causes Focal Seizures

Focal seizures can occur due to many reasons these include:

Brain tumor
Lack of oxygen supply in the brain
Arrhythmia
Aneurysms
Brain injury
Sudden drug and alcohol withdrawal
Genetic disorders
Degenerative brain diseases
Trauma

Focal Seizures Symptoms

Focal seizures vary according to which type of seizure an individual is suffering with also seizure location in the brain. Usually there are three main types of seizure, focal aware seizures, focal impaired awareness seizures, focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure. Hence, focal seizures come under four different categories, these groups are motor, sensory, autonomic and cognitive.

1. Focal Motor Symptoms

These types of symptoms affect the face, hands and toes of one side of the body. It involves twitching, jerking muscle movements, uncontrolled tightening up of muscles and automatic movements. Focal motor symptoms can also affect the whole body parts. These seizures initially start in small parts and then spread to other body parts. Many people experience paralysis in their affected body parts after focal motor seizures. However, this is a temporary effect but can last for several hours if not get treatment on time.

2. Focal Sensory Symptoms

When an aura affects your brain neurons, the neurons mistakenly act like they’re getting actual input which makes an individual think something when it doesn’t exist in the actual world. These types of symptoms are called hallucinations and it can affect all five senses of the human body. These symptoms involves:

Visual: experiencing bright lights, flashes or distortion.
Hearing: Hearing unusual sounds and noises.
Smell: Sudden and unexpected smell, something that is not there.
Taste: Experiencing unusual taste that does not exist.
Touch: Strange feeling underneath the skin in a specific part of the body, it may feel like pins and needles, tingling or crawling.

3. Focal Automatic Symptoms

Focal automatic symptoms affect the brain system and run it automatically. For instance:

Sweating
Generate too much saliva
Skin color changes
Gastric uprising

4. Focal Cognitive Symptom

Focal cognitive symptoms make you feel following symptoms:

Negative emotions like fear, anger, irritation, mood swings, anxiety and agitation.
Positive emotions such as sudden joy, over excitement, and uncontrolled laughter.
Disruption in reality, dream-like feelings and flashbacks.

Diagnosis for Focal Seizures

Generally neurologists diagnose focal seizures based on the symptoms one is experiencing. To confirm and detect the stage of the condition the neurologist recommends some tests to diagnose the seizures. The main purpose of diagnosing focal seizures is finding the focal point, a specific part where the seizure(s) started. Locating the focal point can greatly help with treating focal seizures. Some possible tests with seizures include:

Blood test to check immune system problems.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Video-EEG monitoring
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Intracranial EEG monitoring with subdural electrodes, depth electrodes or Stereo-EEG (SEEG)

Treatment

There are different approaches to treat seizures including medications, surgery, advanced treatment methods and many more. The primary goal of the treatment for focal epilepsy is to eliminate seizures permanently. Treatments for focal epilepsy may include:

Medications: Seizures can be controlled through certain medications like corticosteroids and anti- seizures medications.
Surgery: If the seizures are found to be the result of a brain lesion, then surgical removal of the lesions can bring improvement in an individual’s health.
Ketogenic diet: A healthcare provider may suggest a ketogenic diet to control seizures. This type of protein rich diet actually helps in reducing seizures.
Metabolic treatment: If the seizures are found to be caused by an underlying metabolic condition, treating the cause of the metabolic problem can help in minimizing the seizures.
Deep Brain Stimulation: The treatment involves using a device implantation into the body with wires connected to specific parts of the brain. The device provides a mild current as per the body needs to provide relief in seizures.