What Is Meant By Staring Spells?

Staring spells, once known as petit-mal (“little sickness”) seizures, are short periods of brain activity that cause a blank stare. They are more common in children between ages 4 and 14, but older kids and even adults can also experience them. These seizures can be triggered by jerking movements of the arms and legs, loss of consciousness or awareness, cognitive or emotional changes, fear, anxiety, or deja vu.

An absence seizure is a type of seizure that causes a brief period of “blanking out” or staring into space for a few seconds. These seizures are caused by brief abnormal electrical activity in the brain and are more common during childhood and adolescence. A retrospective study conducted by investigators from Emory University and Northwestern University found that absence seizures are a common cause of confusion, staring spells, uncontrollable jerking, loss of consciousness, fear, anxiety, or deja vu.

Staring spells are often mistaken for daydreaming but cannot be interrupted. They are a common concern in pediatrics, often noted by parents or teachers, prompting evaluation. Absence seizures are short lapses of consciousness that cause a blank stare, usually lasting for a few seconds. They can be consistent with epileptic seizures, most commonly absence seizures or focal onset seizures.

In summary, staring spells are a common issue in children, often mistaken for daydreaming, but they can indicate a medical condition called absence seizures. It is important to monitor children for signs of these seizures and seek appropriate medical attention.

What causes staring episodes?

Absence seizures, also known as petit mal seizures, are a type of epilepsy causing children to blank out or stare into space for a few seconds. They are most common in children aged 4 to 14, and can be set off by a period of hyperventilation. These seizures can be unnoticed and can affect learning and concentration at school. They are caused by abnormal brain activity, which confuses the brain and causes a seizure. Prompt treatment is crucial for these seizures, as they can interfere with learning and school performance.

What does it mean when you have staring spells?

Absence seizures, also known as petit mal seizures, are short, sudden, and often unwarranted episodes of staring and loss of awareness. They typically start without warning and last between three and 15 seconds. Symptoms include a brief, blank stare, complete stop in activity, occasional eyelid fluttering or nodding, continuing the activity, feeling missed, and not noticing anything happening. These seizures can occur in children and adults, and can lead to confusion and difficulty concentrating.

What do staring spells look like?

Absence seizures are a type of epilepsy where a child stops doing something and stares ahead, making chewing or smacking noises. They may also flutter their eyelids and not respond to others. These seizures are not dangerous but can affect a child’s learning and concentration. Detecting absence seizures is challenging, as they are hard to detect and can last for years without anyone noticing. Parents should be aware of the difference between normal zoning out or daydreaming and this subtle form of epilepsy.

How long does a staring spell last?

Absence seizures are brief episodes of altered consciousness, typically lasting less than 15 seconds, caused by aberrant electrical activity in the brain. These seizures, which result from excessive neuronal activity, are most prevalent in individuals under the age of 20, with a peak incidence among children aged 4 to 12 years. They occur as a consequence of the specific functions of the brain.

Can anxiety cause staring spells?

Anxiety. Anxiety and the stress it causes (acute and chronic) can cause seizure-like episodes that aren’t epileptic or Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures.

So, yes, anxiety can cause seizure-like episodes with symptoms like PNES.

Common anxiety seizure-like episode symptoms include:

• Staring spell
• Blank look
• Stiff muscles
• Upset stomach
• Dizziness
• Vision changes
• Out-of-body sensation
• Uncontrollable muscle spasms
• Drooling
• Odd taste in the mouth
• Clenching teeth
• Biting tongue
• Darting eye movements
• Loss of bowel control
• Sudden and uncontrollable mood swings
• Headache
• Feel like you are going to fall or pass out
• Confusion
• Jerking movements or stiffness in the arms and legs
• Loss of awareness
• Slurred speech; Fear, anxiety, déjà vu; Feeling unresponsive; Feel like a change of consciousness; Shaking; Coordination problems; Moving the head from side to side; Eyelids closed tight; Jaw or mouth clenching; Stuttering; Difficulty thinking or speaking; Startle easily; Concentration and memory problems

To name a few. You can read more about each of these symptoms in the Anxiety Symptom section.

Even though anxiety seizure-like episodes can feel like epileptic and Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures, they aren’t. These seizure-like episodes are caused by how the body and nervous system respond to high degrees of acute and chronic stress ( hyperstimulation ), especially high to very high degrees.

What mental disorder is a blank stare?

A blank stare or facial expression can be a sign of psychotic conditions like schizophrenia, which can also result from medication reactions or overdoses. Confusion can also occur with conditions like dementia, encephalitis, and schizophrenia. These symptoms are not specific to any one disease state and should be reported to a healthcare provider. While this list can help educate one about these conditions, it is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a healthcare provider.

Other medical conditions can also be associated with these symptoms and signs. It is important to understand the types of drug interactions, substances that may interact with drugs, vitamins, foods, and laboratory tests, and how to protect oneself from potential drug interactions.

What is staring blankly a symptom of?

Absence seizures are brief, sudden lapses of consciousness, more common in children than adults. They may cause a person to stare blankly into space for a few seconds before returning to alertness. Although absence seizures usually don’t cause physical injury, they can result during the period when the person loses consciousness, especially if driving or riding a bike. Anti-seizure medicines can usually control absence seizures, but some children may develop other seizures, such as generalized tonic-clonic or myoclonic seizures. Many children outgrow absence seizures in their teens.

What is an autism stare?

The intense stare in autism is a behavior characterized by prolonged periods of focused visual attention on a specific object or person, often accompanied by a fixed gaze and limited eye movement. This behavior can be perplexing for those unfamiliar with the condition, but it is important to understand its unique characteristics. Researchers have proposed several explanations based on observations and studies, including the presence of sensory processing disorders, a lack of social interaction, and a lack of understanding of the brain’s structure.

What is an autistic staring spell?

The study aimed to differentiate between epileptic seizures and non-epileptic spells in children with autism spectrum disorder presenting with staring spells. Staring spells are periods of time when children “space out” and are subcategorized as either absence seizures (brain activity resembling a seizure but with no physical seizure symptoms) or inattentiveness or daydreaming. These spells are usually diagnosed via long-term video electroencephalograms, which are monitored for 3-5 days.

However, electroencephalograms may be difficult to perform in children with autism spectrum disorder due to behavior, cognitive, or sensory concerns. The study reviewed 140 charts from 2010-2021, dividing the 140 children into two groups: those diagnosed with epileptic seizures and those with non-epileptic spells. The study found that the two groups differed in clinical characteristics such as the duration of staring spells, the number of spells in a week, and verbal responses. The study suggests that clinical features may be helpful in differentiating epileptic seizures from non-epileptic spells in children with autism spectrum disorder.

What are staring spells in autism?

The study aimed to differentiate between epileptic seizures and non-epileptic spells in children with autism spectrum disorder presenting with staring spells. Staring spells are periods of time when children “space out” and are subcategorized as either absence seizures (brain activity resembling a seizure but with no physical seizure symptoms) or inattentiveness or daydreaming. These spells are usually diagnosed via long-term video electroencephalograms, which are monitored for 3-5 days.

However, electroencephalograms may be difficult to perform in children with autism spectrum disorder due to behavior, cognitive, or sensory concerns. The study reviewed 140 charts from 2010-2021, dividing the 140 children into two groups: those diagnosed with epileptic seizures and those with non-epileptic spells. The study found that the two groups differed in clinical characteristics such as the duration of staring spells, the number of spells in a week, and verbal responses. The study suggests that clinical features may be helpful in differentiating epileptic seizures from non-epileptic spells in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Does ADHD cause staring spells?

Michael Chez, MD, Director of Pediatric Neurology at Sutter Neuroscience Institute and Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of California, Davis, has warned that all children inattentive at school don’t necessarily have absence epilepsy. If a child has lapses of attention both at school and at home, it is often diagnosed as absence epilepsy. However, if staring spells only occur at school, it is likely attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Two behaviors identified children with seizures versus ADHD with 96 accuracy: their eyes became glassy and they did not fidget. Dr. Knowles also noted that if a child is inattentive and doesn’t respond when called, it may be ADHD or a seizure.