What happens to the brain and body during an absence seizure?

What happens to the brain and body during an absence seizure?

Charles Ribak, Ph.D. (Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology, UC Irvine School of Medicine) gives expert video advice on: What should I do if I think I'm going to have an absence seizure?; What should I do if I see someone having an absence seizure? and more...

During an absence seizure, usually the posture of the body remains pretty much upright. The head also remains in an upright position. However, the eyes may blink several times and the eyeballs may actually move up into the orbit. For the most part these are the only outward appearances of this type of seizure. If you were to ask the person during the absence seizure a question, they would not respond. We don't know whether this is because they can't hear it, or they are unable to actually speak.