Absence Seizure

Absence seizures involve brief, sudden lapses of consciousness. They're more common in children than adults. Someone having an absence seizure may look like he or she is staring into space for a few seconds. This type of seizure usually doesn't lead to physical injury.

Typically, this type of seizure lasts between 10 and 30 seconds. The person, most often a child aged 5 to 15, abruptly stops whatever he's doing (talking, walking) and appears to "stare into space." Absence seizures rarely cause a true convulsion in which the person falls down or collapses. Despite briefly losing consciousness, the person recovers fully with no lingering confusion or other ill effects.

About 10% of seizures in children with epilepsy are typical absence seizures. Annual incidence has been estimated at 0.7 to 4.6/100,000 people in the general population, and 6 to 8/100,000 in children aged 0 to 15 years. Prevalence is 5 to 50/100,000 people in the general population. Similar figures were found in the USA (Connecticut) and in Europe-based (Scandinavia, France) population studies. Age of onset ranges from 3 to 13 years, with a peak at 6 to 7 years.