This page offers guidance on what you can do to help a child’s assessment for diagnosis after a suspected epileptic seizure.
You’ll also find information on conditions that can be mistaken for epilepsy.
How can I help with my child’s assessment?
There is no single test for epilepsy and getting a diagnosis can take time.
Doctors won’t consider epilepsy as a possibility until there have been two seizures or more, unless there is a known cause.
After the first seizure, if there is no underlying issue, they will monitor the situation and wait.
If a child has had a suspected first seizure, the process can be frustrating and worrying. But you can help by keeping accurate records of any seizures, noting down:
- When they occur
- How long they last
- A full description of what happened, including any changes in behaviour before, during and after the seizure
You can download our illustrated "Keeping records of possible seizures" PDF.
It will be very helpful if you can make a video recording of seizures. But always make sure a child is safe before worrying about a recording.
All of this information will help doctors to get the full picture before they carry out their first medical examination and decide which test or tests are needed.
When making a diagnosis, they will take into account the test results and your detailed accounts of the child’s seizures and any video recordings you’ve made.
A diagnosis will aim to identify the type of epilepsy and help doctors decide on the best treatment.
Find out more about epilepsy syndromes, seizure types and epilepsy treatments.
Misdiagnosis
Diagnosing epilepsy can be difficult, as there are a wide range of conditions that look like epileptic seizures.
Sometimes, faints (syncopal attacks) can have jerking movements and are often mistaken for epileptic seizures.
Other conditions that can look similar to epilepsy include:
- Cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats)
- Migraine
- Panic attacks
- Night terrors
- Breath-holding attacks
- Stereotypies – rhythmic, fixed movements lasting for seconds or minutes, and which usually start before three years of age
- Tics – repetitive, patterned movements, which usually start between five and seven years of age
- Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD)
- Self-gratification (very common in toddlers)
Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD)
Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD) is not a type of epilepsy but can happen to people who have epilepsy.
Other names for NEAD are:
- Dissociative (non-epileptic) seizures
- Non-epileptic seizures
- Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES)
- Psychogenic seizures
- Functional seizures
Someone with NEAD has attacks that look similar to epileptic seizures but which are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
NEAD attacks can cause blackouts, falls, loss of bladder control and injuries.
They can be linked to anxiety, stress or stressful situations, and can be mistaken for fainting or panic attacks with hyperventilation (rapid, deep breathing).
Medical professionals take NEADs very seriously. There are no medicines for treating the disorder, which will need psychological support or at least counselling to work through, to address underlying mental health issues.
