• May 2, 2024

Absence crises are those seconds in which a person leaves his eyes lost and is left thinking of any other situation, than the moment he is living.

Occasionally, they may not respond to any stimulus and occur only in 2% to 8% of the population suffering from epilepsy. It mainly occurs in children between 8 and 12 years old, but adults can also suffer from these crises.

How do they manifest?

Typical absences last only a few seconds, with full recovery occurring quickly and without the presence of persistent confusion.

These convulsions are manifested as fixed gaze episodes or "absences" during which there is a cessation of the child's activity or speech.

The "episodes" can be little or very frequent, it can happen that the episodes are repeated several times in a short period of time. Up to hundreds of seizures can occur in a single day and can occur for weeks or months before being detected.

These seizures can interfere with school performance and learning or the performance of work at work, in the case of adults.

Signs and symptoms

• Changes in muscle activity.
• Absence of movement
• Clumsiness with the hands.
• Tremor of the eyelids.
• Licking lips
• Chewing.
• Changes in the state of consciousness.
• Fixed gaze episodes (involuntary)
• Lack of awareness regarding the surrounding space.
• Sudden interruption of conscious activity (movement, speech, etc.)
• Complete recovery of the state of consciousness, without confusion.
• Abrupt onset of seizures, which sometimes tend to last only a few seconds.
• There is no memory of the convulsion.