CIEMT Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Practice Exam

Seizures are classified by where they start in the brain and how they spread. A focal (partial) seizure begins in a specific area of one hemisphere, which often leads to symptoms on one side of the body or localized sensations. If the abnormal electrical activity spreads to the other hemisphere, the seizure can become generalized, producing bilateral convulsions. This pattern of unilateral onset with potential progression to involvement of the whole brain is characteristic of focal seizures. Absence seizures and generalized seizures originate with widespread brain involvement from the start, and complex partial seizures are focal with impaired consciousness—though they can sometimes generalize, the description of starting on one side and possibly becoming generalized best fits focal seizures.