Fall attack

Introduction A fall episode, also known as an inoperative episode, manifests as a sudden onset of transient muscle tone loss that does not maintain normal posture. The affected parts are different, and the clinical symptoms are different. For example, if only the cervical muscle tension is lost, it is suddenly bowed. When the calf muscles are lost, the knees can be bent. When standing, if the whole body muscle tension is lost, the child can suddenly fall down, such as "broken puppets." The disturbance of consciousness is short or not obvious. Immediately wake up after the attack, stand up immediately. Sometimes there may be a continuous episode, and multiple scars may appear in the body. Often associated with myoclonus, tonic seizures, children are prone to low intelligence.

Cause

It is caused by loss of posture tension. Common causes include narcolepsy, post-circulatory transient ischemic attack, syncope, epilepsy (asymptomatic seizures), occult or normal cerebrospinal hydrocephalus, and early Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

an examination

Related inspection

Brain CT examination of spinal MRI

Sudden decrease in muscle tension in part or whole body causes a neck (nodding), mouth opening, sagging of the limb (falling of the object) or a loss of tension or a collapse of the trunk, which lasts for a few seconds to 1 minute. The short-term consciousness disorder is not obvious, and the elderly have a short time. Loss of consciousness, wake up and stand immediately after the attack. May occur alternately with tonic, atypical absence, in developmental disorders and diffuse brain damage such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Doose syndrome (epilepsy with myoclonus - cataplexy) and subacute sclerosing Encephalitis is common in the early stages.

Differential diagnosis

The fall episode was originally an alias for the onset of tension. In fact, tonic attacks, clonic seizures, myoclonic seizures, and other types of epilepsy such as myoclonus - standing ups and episodes of epilepsy, myoclonus, and so on, may fall. Non-epileptic patients, such as narcolepsy, breath holding, syncope, orthostatic hypotension, QT prolongation syndrome, slow sinus syndrome, congenital aortic stenosis, infarct cardiomyopathy, etc., can also cause falls. However, detailed medical history, accurate medical examination and appropriate auxiliary examination can be identified.

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