General Seizures. General seizures result from abnormal nerve activity in both hemispheres of the brain. There are six types of general seizures. These include: atonic, tonic, absence, clonic, tonic-clonic and myoclonic. During an absence seizure, the person may stare fixedly at nothing and may exhibit twitching muscles. Absence seizures used to be called petit mal seizures and last mere seconds. Tonic seizures cause the muscles to stiffen, usually in the back and limbs. People who are having a tonic seizure may collapse to the ground. Atonic seizures make a person lose control of their muscles, also causing them to fall. Clonic seizures cause the muscles in the arms, neck and face to jerk rhythmically, while myoclonic seizures cause the arms and legs to start twitching suddenly. Finally, tonic-clonic seizures used to be called grand-mal seizures. They result in a violent shaking and jerking movements of the whole body. People lose consciousness, may lose control of their bladder and may bite their tongue.
