Todd's paresis

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Todd's paresis
Other namesTodd's paralysis, or Todd's palsy
Specialty Neurology   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Todd's paresis (or postictal paresis/paralysis, "after seizure") is focal weakness in a part or all of the body after a seizure. This weakness typically affects the limbs and is localized to either the left or right side of the body. It usually subsides completely within 48 hours. Todd's paresis may also affect speech, eye position (gaze), or vision.

Contents

The condition is named after Robert Bentley Todd (1809–1860), an Irish-born London physiologist who first described the phenomenon in 1849. [1] [2] It may occur in up to 13% of seizure cases. [3] It is most common after a focal motor seizure affecting one limb or one side of the body. [4] The generally postulated cause is the exhaustion of the primary motor cortex, although no conclusive evidence is available to support this.

Presentation

Robert Bentley Todd Robert Bentley Todd2.jpg
Robert Bentley Todd

The classic presentation of Todd's paresis is a transient weakness of a hand, arm, or leg after focal seizure activity within that limb. The weakness may range in severity from mild to complete paralysis. [3]

When seizures affect areas other than the motor cortex, other transient neurological deficits can take place. These include sensory changes if the sensory cortex is involved by the seizure, visual field defects if the occipital lobe is involved, and aphasia if speech, comprehension or conducting fibers are involved.[ citation needed ]

Postictal paresis (PP), although familiar to neurologists, has not been well-studied. One retrospective observational study evaluated 328 selected patients from ages 16 to 57 years who had prolonged video-electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring for medically intractable epilepsy and focal seizure onset; those with nonepileptic seizures, status epilepticus, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome were excluded.[ citation needed ] The following observations were made:[ citation needed ]

Of all seizures followed by PP, the following features were noted:[ citation needed ]

The results of this study are valuable because few other data exist on the frequency, duration, and seizure characteristics associated with PP. However, the study is likely biased by the inclusion only of patients with medically intractable seizures who had undergone video-EEG monitoring, and the results may not extrapolate to a general epilepsy population.[ citation needed ]

Other post-ictal neurological findings that do not involve activity of the area affected by the seizure have been described. They are thought to be caused by a different mechanism than Todd's paresis, and including paralysis of the contralateral limb, [5] and rare genetic causes of hemiplegia and seizures. [6]

Causes

The cause of Todd's paresis has been attributed to the affected cortex being ‘exhausted’ or silenced due to increased inhibition, but these conjectures are not supported. It has been observed that the impairments that follow seizures are similar to those that follow strokes, where for a period of time blood flow to certain areas of the brain is restricted and these areas are starved of oxygen. [7]

Diagnosis

One of the main challenges with Todd's paresis is distinguishing it from a stroke. This is made harder because some strokes can cause focal seizures during the early stage. In such cases, Todd's paresis might make the neurological damage seem worse due to the stroke itself, leading to incorrect decisions about urgent stroke treatments like thrombolysis. Therefore, having a seizure during a stroke is generally considered a reason to be cautious about using thrombolytic therapy, especially if there's no clear evidence of a blocked blood vessel in the brain using imaging techniques. [8]

An infant with Todd's paresis does not necessarily preclude the diagnosis of a febrile convulsion. This view is as a result of a recent study that showed the incidence of Todd's paresis to be in 0.4% of infants that have been diagnosed with a febrile convulsion. [9]

Treatment

There is no treatment for Todd's paralysis. Individuals must rest as comfortably as possible until the paralysis disappears. [10]

Prognosis

An occurrence of Todd's paralysis indicates that a seizure has occurred. The prognosis for the patient depends upon the effects of the seizure, not the occurrence of the paralysis. [10]

Related Research Articles

Hemiparesis, also called unilateral paresis, is the weakness of one entire side of the body. Hemiplegia, in its most severe form, is the complete paralysis of one entire side of the body. Either hemiparesis or hemiplegia can result from a variety of medical causes, including congenital conditions, trauma, tumors, traumatic brain injury and stroke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seizure</span> Period of symptoms due to excessive or synchronous neuronal brain activity

A seizure is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with loss of consciousness, to shaking movements involving only part of the body with variable levels of consciousness, to a subtle momentary loss of awareness. These episodes usually last less than two minutes and it takes some time to return to normal. Loss of bladder control may occur.

A headache is often present in patients with epilepsy. If the headache occurs in the vicinity of a seizure, it is defined as peri-ictal headache, which can occur either before (pre-ictal) or after (post-ictal) the seizure, to which the term ictal refers. An ictal headache itself may or may not be an epileptic manifestation. In the first case it is defined as ictal epileptic headache or simply epileptic headache. It is a real painful seizure, that can remain isolated or be followed by other manifestations of the seizure. On the other hand, the ictal non-epileptic headache is a headache that occurs during a seizure but it is not due to an epileptic mechanism. When the headache does not occur in the vicinity of a seizure it is defined as inter-ictal headache. In this case it is a disorder autonomous from epilepsy, that is a comorbidity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aura (symptom)</span> Symptom of epilepsy and migraine

An aura is a perceptual disturbance experienced by some with epilepsy or migraine. An epileptic aura is actually a minor seizure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monoplegia</span> Paralysis of a single limb

Monoplegia is paralysis of a single limb, usually an arm. Common symptoms associated with monoplegic patients are weakness, numbness, and pain in the affected limb. Monoplegia is a type of paralysis that falls under hemiplegia. While hemiplegia is paralysis of half of the body, monoplegia is localized to a single limb or to a specific region of the body. Monoplegia of the upper limb is sometimes referred to as brachial monoplegia, and that of the lower limb is called crural monoplegia. Monoplegia in the lower extremities is not as common of an occurrence as in the upper extremities. Monoparesis is a similar, but less severe, condition because one limb is very weak, not paralyzed. For more information, see paresis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temporal lobe epilepsy</span> Chronic focal seizure disorder

In the field of neurology, temporal lobe epilepsy is an enduring brain disorder that causes unprovoked seizures from the temporal lobe. Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common type of focal onset epilepsy among adults. Seizure symptoms and behavior distinguish seizures arising from the medial temporal lobe from seizures arising from the lateral (neocortical) temporal lobe. Memory and psychiatric comorbidities may occur. Diagnosis relies on electroencephalographic (EEG) and neuroimaging studies. Anticonvulsant medications, epilepsy surgery and dietary treatments may improve seizure control.

Frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by brief, recurring seizures arising in the frontal lobes of the brain, that often occur during sleep. It is the second most common type of epilepsy after temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), and is related to the temporal form in that both forms are characterized by partial (focal) seizures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electrocorticography</span> Type of electrophysiological monitoring

Electrocorticography (ECoG), a type of intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG), is a type of electrophysiological monitoring that uses electrodes placed directly on the exposed surface of the brain to record electrical activity from the cerebral cortex. In contrast, conventional electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes monitor this activity from outside the skull. ECoG may be performed either in the operating room during surgery or outside of surgery. Because a craniotomy is required to implant the electrode grid, ECoG is an invasive procedure.

The postictal state is the altered state of consciousness after an epileptic seizure. It usually lasts between 5 and 30 minutes, but sometimes longer in the case of larger or more severe seizures, and is characterized by drowsiness, confusion, nausea, hypertension, headache or migraine, and other disorienting symptoms.

In the field of neurology, seizure types are categories of seizures defined by seizure behavior, symptoms, and diagnostic tests. The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2017 classification of seizures is the internationally recognized standard for identifying seizure types. The ILAE 2017 classification of seizures is a revision of the prior ILAE 1981 classification of seizures. Distinguishing between seizure types is important since different types of seizures may have different causes, outcomes, and treatments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foix–Chavany–Marie syndrome</span> Medical condition

Foix–Chavany–Marie syndrome (FCMS), also known as bilateral opercular syndrome, is a neuropathological disorder characterized by paralysis of the facial, tongue, pharynx, and masticatory muscles of the mouth that aid in chewing. The disorder is primarily caused by thrombotic and embolic strokes, which cause a deficiency of oxygen in the brain. As a result, bilateral lesions may form in the junctions between the frontal lobe and temporal lobe, the parietal lobe and cortical lobe, or the subcortical region of the brain. FCMS may also arise from defects existing at birth that may be inherited or nonhereditary. Symptoms of FCMS can be present in a person of any age and it is diagnosed using automatic-voluntary dissociation assessment, psycholinguistic testing, neuropsychological testing, and brain scanning. Treatment for FCMS depends on the onset, as well as on the severity of symptoms, and it involves a multidisciplinary approach.

Epilepsy surgery involves a neurosurgical procedure where an area of the brain involved in seizures is either resected, ablated, disconnected or stimulated. The goal is to eliminate seizures or significantly reduce seizure burden. Approximately 60% of all people with epilepsy have focal epilepsy syndromes. In 15% to 20% of these patients, the condition is not adequately controlled with anticonvulsive drugs. Such patients are potential candidates for surgical epilepsy treatment.

Focal neurologic signs also known as focal neurological deficits or focal CNS signs are impairments of nerve, spinal cord, or brain function that affects a specific region of the body, e.g. weakness in the left arm, the right leg, paresis, or plegia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generalized tonic–clonic seizure</span> Type of generalized seizure that affects the entire brain

A generalized tonic–clonic seizure, commonly known as a grand mal seizure or GTCS, is a type of generalized seizure that produces bilateral, convulsive tonic and clonic muscle contractions. Tonic–clonic seizures are the seizure type most commonly associated with epilepsy and seizures in general and the most common seizure associated with metabolic imbalances. It is a misconception that they are the sole type of seizure, as they are the main seizure type in approximately 10% of those with epilepsy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolandic epilepsy</span> Most common epilepsy syndrome in childhood, usually subsiding with age

Benign Rolandic epilepsy or self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes is the most common epilepsy syndrome in childhood. Most children will outgrow the syndrome, hence the label benign. The seizures, sometimes referred to as sylvian seizures, start around the central sulcus of the brain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epilepsy in children</span>

Epilepsy is a neurological condition of recurrent episodes of unprovoked epileptic seizures. A seizure is an abnormal neuronal brain activity that can cause intellectual, emotional, and social consequences. Epilepsy affects children and adults of all ages and races, and is one of the most common neurological disorders of the nervous system. Epilepsy is more common among children than adults, affecting about 6 out of 1000 US children that are between the age of 0 to 5 years old. The epileptic seizures can be of different types depending on the part of the brain that was affected, seizures are classified in 2 main types partial seizure or generalized seizure.

Idiopathic childhood occipital epilepsy of Gastaut (ICOE-G) is a pure but rare form of idiopathic occipital epilepsy that affects otherwise normal children and adolescents. It is classified amongst benign idiopathic childhood focal epilepsies such as rolandic epilepsy and Panayiotopoulos syndrome.

Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES), is onset of severe seizures following a febrile illness in someone who was previously healthy. The seizures may initially be focal; however, often become tonic-clonic. Complications often include intellectual disability, behavioral problems, and ongoing seizures.

A neonatal seizure is a seizure in a baby younger than age 4-weeks that is identifiable by an electrical recording of the brain. It is an occurrence of abnormal, paroxysmal, and persistent ictal rhythm with an amplitude of 2 microvolts in the electroencephalogram,. These may be manifested in form of stiffening or jerking of limbs or trunk. Sometimes random eye movements, cycling movements of legs, tonic eyeball movements, and lip-smacking movements may be observed. Alteration in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, salivation, pupillary dilation, and other associated paroxysmal changes in the autonomic nervous system of infants may be caused due to these seizures. Often these changes are observed along with the observance of other clinical symptoms. A neonatal seizure may or may not be epileptic. Some of them may be provoked. Most neonatal seizures are due to secondary causes. With hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy being the most common cause in full term infants and intraventricular hemorrhage as the most common cause in preterm infants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occipital epilepsy</span> Medical condition

Occipital epilepsy is a neurological disorder that arises from excessive neural activity in the occipital lobe of the brain that may or may not be symptomatic. Occipital lobe epilepsy is fairly rare, and may sometimes be misdiagnosed as migraine when symptomatic. Epileptic seizures are the result of synchronized neural activity that is excessive, and may stem from a failure of inhibitory neurons to regulate properly.

References

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  2. Pearce JM (March 1994). "Robert Bentley Todd (1809-60) and Todd's paralysis". J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry. 57 (3): 315. doi:10.1136/jnnp.57.3.315. PMC   1072820 . PMID   8158178.
  3. 1 2 3 Gallmetzer P, Leutmezer F, Serles W, Assem-Hilger E, Spatt J, Baumgartner C (June 2004). "Postictal paresis in focal epilepsies--incidence, duration, and causes: a video-EEG monitoring study". Neurology. 62 (12): 2160–4. doi:10.1212/wnl.62.12.2160. PMID   15210875. S2CID   352842.
  4. Uptodate: Evaluation of the first seizure in adults
  5. Oestreich L, Berg M, Bachmann D, Burchfiel J, Erba G (1995). "Ictal contralateral paresis in complex partial seizures". Epilepsia. 36 (7): 671–5. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1157.1995.tb01044.x. PMID   7555983. S2CID   8058284.
  6. Mikati M, Maguire H, Barlow C, Ozelius L, Breakefield X, Klauck S, Korf B, O'Tuama S, Dangond F (1992). "A syndrome of autosomal dominant alternating hemiplegia: clinical presentation mimicking intractable epilepsy; chromosomal studies; and physiologic investigations". Neurology. 42 (12): 2251–7. doi:10.1212/wnl.42.12.2251. PMID   1361034. S2CID   45006064.
  7. Farrell JS, Gaxiola-Valdez I, Wolff MD, David LS, Dika HI, Geeraert BL, Rachel Wang X, Singh S, Spanswick SC, Dunn JF, Antle MC, Federico P, Teskey GC (November 2016). "Postictal behavioural impairments are due to a severe prolonged hypoperfusion/hypoxia event that is COX-2 dependent". eLife. 5. doi: 10.7554/eLife.19352 . PMC   5154758 . PMID   27874832.
  8. Sylaja PN, Dzialowski I, Krol A, Roy J, Federico P, Demchuk AM (2006). "Role of CT angiography in thrombolysis decision-making for patients with presumed seizure at stroke onset". Stroke. 37 (3): 915–7. doi:10.1161/01.STR.0000202678.86234.84. PMID   16456124.
  9. Nelson KB, Ellenberg JH (May 1978). "Prognosis in children with febrile seizures". Pediatrics. 61 (5): 720–7. doi:10.1542/peds.61.5.720. PMID   662510. S2CID   28864152.
  10. 1 2 "Todd's Paralysis". National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Retrieved 2023-07-26.