Epilepsy is a condition that causes repeated seizures, which happen because of unusual electrical activity in the brain. There are many types of epilepsy, each with its own symptoms. Knowing your specific type can help you and your doctor better understand what to expect with seizures, how your condition might affect learning or development, and what treatment options are available.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Are there different types of epilepsy?” or “How many types of epilepsy are there?” you’re not alone. Here are the answers you need.

There are three major categories of seizures. Other types of epilepsy are known as syndromes, which are collections of specific signs and symptoms that point to a certain medical condition. The three categories of epilepsy are:

• Focal epilepsies — These are defined by the area of the brain where the seizures begin, with abnormal electrical activity starting in a specific region.
• Generalized epilepsies — In these cases, seizures don’t start or stay within one area of the brain. One common type, idiopathic generalized epilepsy, accounts for about one-third of cases.
• Unknown epilepsies — For these types, health care providers are unsure about where the seizures originate.

Each type of epilepsy has unique characteristics. Some syndromes are considered benign, meaning children will eventually become seizure-free as they grow older, while other types of epilepsy are lifelong. Read on to learn more about 11 types of epilepsy.

1. Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Approximately 60 percent of people with focal epilepsy have temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), or seizures that originate in the brain’s temporal lobe. The temporal lobe is located on the sides of the brain, near the ears, and is responsible for processing sound and language, as well as memories relating to sound and vision. About one-third of TLE or other cases of focal epilepsy are resistant to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Doctors might suggest surgery to remove part of the brain, or they might use special devices, such as vagus nerve stimulation, to help treat the problem.

TLE usually develops between late adolescence and early adulthood, often after a head injury or febrile (fever-induced) seizure. Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can sometimes increase seizure activity. Focal onset seizures are most common for people with TLE, though some may experience prolonged seizures or, in rare circumstances, status epilepticus (a seizure lasting over five minutes or multiple, rapid seizures without recovering consciousness in between).

2. Frontal Lobe Epilepsy

Frontal lobe epilepsy is the second most common form of focal epilepsy. This type may be either inherited or caused by a structural problem such as a birth defect, an abnormal blood vessel, trauma, or scarring caused by infection. In about 50 percent of FLE cases, no cause is ever determined.

The brain’s frontal lobes are large. They help you with reasoning, paying attention, regulating emotion, organizing, and solving problems. FLE seizure symptoms can vary widely, depending on the function of the affected part of the lobe. It’s also possible for a seizure to begin in the frontal lobe and proceed without symptoms until the seizure spreads to other parts of the brain. This leads to a tonic-clonic seizure. “Tonic” refers to muscle stiffening and “clonic” refers to muscle jerking.

Frontal lobe epilepsy usually responds to medications, but if AEDs are ineffective, surgery or vagus nerve stimulation may help.

3. Occipital Lobe Epilepsy

The occipital lobes, located in the back of the brain, are primarily responsible for vision. Occipital lobe epilepsy, a type of focal epilepsy, is less common than TLE and FLE. The cause of seizures that begin in the occipital lobes is often unknown. AEDs are usually the first treatment option, though surgery may help if medications aren’t successful.

4. Parietal Lobe Epilepsy

The parietal lobes are located on the top and upper sides of the head. This area is known as the “association cortex” because it’s where perception becomes reality — sounds are recognized as words, visual images are formed, and touch is associated with an object. Focal epilepsy originating in the parietal lobe is much less common than TLE and FLE. Seizures that begin in the parietal lobes usually don’t have a known cause. AEDs are the first treatment option. If medication fails, surgery may be recommended.

5. Panayiotopoulos Syndrome

Also known as early onset occipital epilepsy, panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS) usually starts between 3 and 10 years of age. Its cause is unknown, but as many as 6 percent of children who have nonfebrile seizures have this type of focal epilepsy.

Panayiotopoulos syndrome frequently stops two to three years after the first seizure. Rarely, some children with PS may go on to develop other forms of epilepsy, such as juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME).

Children with PS typically have focal seizures that can spread to a generalized seizure. Seizures in PS last between one and 30 minutes, and more than half occur during sleep. Typical symptoms include pale skin, a sick feeling, and vomiting. Some children also have tonic-clonic movements.

Infrequent seizures might not require medication. However, if needed, AEDs are usually effective at controlling PS seizures. Neurologists often teach parents how to initiate rescue therapy and create an emergency plan for children with panayiotopoulos syndrome.

6. Benign Rolandic Epilepsy

Benign rolandic epilepsy (BRE) — also known as benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes — usually begins around ages 6 to 8 years. Boys are slightly more likely to have BRE than girls are, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. BRE accounts for about 15 percent of all epilepsies in children.

Benign rolandic epilepsy is a focal epilepsy characterized by numbness, twitching, or tingling of the face or tongue. Seizures may make it hard to speak and may cause drooling. The child remains conscious during seizures, which are infrequent and occur mostly at night. AEDs may be prescribed if the seizures happen during the day or disrupt sleep, but many children don’t need medication. Seizures stop by early adolescence in almost all children with BRE.

7. Childhood Absence Epilepsy

Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) accounts for 2 percent to 8 percent of childhood epilepsy cases.This generalized epilepsy typically begins between ages 3 and 11, most frequently between ages 5 and 8. One-third of children with CAE have a family history of seizures, suggesting that this may be one of the types of genetic epilepsy. Siblings of children with CAE have a 10 percent chance of developing epilepsy.

Children with CAE experience absence seizures (formerly known as petit mal seizures) that often occur during exercise. The child isn’t aware or responsive during seizures and may stare, blink, or roll their eyes upward. You may notice them making a chewing motion or other repetitive movements. Seizures usually last less than 15 seconds, after which the child immediately returns to normal. The child usually isn’t aware that they had a seizure. Seizures may be infrequent or happen as often as 100 times a day.

Some children with CAE have concentration and memory problems before seizures start. Rarely, children who have very frequent seizures develop learning difficulties.

At least two-thirds of children with childhood absence epilepsy respond to treatment, and their seizures will end by midadolescence. If AEDs aren’t effective, the ketogenic diet may help. However, 10 percent to 15 percent of children with CAE will develop other seizure types during adolescence — typically, myoclonic seizures (“myoclonic” meaning short periods of jerking movements), generalized tonic-clonic seizures (formerly known as grand mal seizures), or both.

8. Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy

JME, also known as Janz syndrome, is another of the childhood epilepsy types and the most common generalized epilepsy syndrome. This syndrome tends to begin between ages 6 and 26, usually between 12 and 16. Mild myoclonic, generalized tonic-clonic, and clonic-tonic-clonic seizures are the most common types of JME. Myoclonic seizures tend to occur immediately upon waking in the morning. People with JME may first experience absence seizures, although this type happens less often.

Photosensitivity (seizures triggered by flashing or flickering light) affects more than one-third of people with JME. These seizures usually show up on an electroencephalography (EEG) test.

Most cases of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy are treatable with AEDs, which are usually needed for life.

9. Juvenile Absence Epilepsy

Juvenile absence epilepsy (JAE) is similar to childhood absence epilepsy. However, it starts later in childhood (generally between ages 10 and 16) and is usually a lifelong condition. Between 1 percent and 2 percent of people with epilepsy have juvenile absence epilepsy. Although it’s rare to have a family history of seizures, the cause of JAE is thought to be genetic.

People with JAE generally experience absence seizures lasting from 10 to 45 seconds. They tend to have less than one absence seizure per day, often during exercise. Around 80 percent of those with JAE will also have tonic-clonic seizures. JAE also carries a higher risk of absence status epilepticus, also known as nonconvulsive status epilepticus, in which seizures can last for minutes or even hours.

Most children with JAE develop normally, although they may have learning difficulties if they experience frequent seizures. Sometimes concentration and memory problems arise before seizures start. These issues often improve with use of AEDs, which work well to treat JAE and generally must be taken for life.

10. Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) is an uncommon generalized epilepsy syndrome, occurring in 3 percent to 4 percent of children with epilepsy. LGS affects males somewhat more often than females, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), and generally starts between ages of 2 and 7.

Atonic seizures, also known as drop attacks, are most common in children with LGS. Seizures may happen multiple times a day, causing the child to suddenly drop to the ground. A drop attack may be mistakenly attributed to tripping or losing balance. Injuries are common, making the seizures upsetting for the child. Atypical absence seizures and tonic seizures are also common, especially at night. Children with LGS may experience other types of seizures as well.

It’s very difficult to treat Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, and this type is often referred to as intractable or refractory. Some AEDs can be effective, and the ketogenic diet may help. A new treatment, cannabidiol (Epidiolex), may provide more help than AEDs. If diet and medication don’t work, surgery may be recommended but won’t stop the seizures altogether.

Children with LGS tend to have moderate to severe learning difficulties, and some may exhibit developmental delays before their first seizure. Additionally, some children with West syndrome (infantile spasms) may later develop LGS.

11. Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsies

The progressive myoclonic epilepsies are a group of rare syndromes and types of epilepsy characterized by a combination of tonic-clonic and myoclonic seizures. Disorders that fall under this category include:

• Lafora disease
• Mitochondrial encephalopathies
• Unverricht-Lundborg disease (also known as Baltic myoclonus)
• Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (also referred to as Dravet syndrome)

Progressive myoclonic epilepsies start at different ages, depending on the specific condition. The cause is often hereditary but may be unknown.

Seizures in progressive myoclonic epilepsies are hard to control. As the condition progresses, people with PME develop cognitive (thinking and memory) and motor (movement) disabilities. Medications may be successful at first, but effectiveness declines over months or years as the disease progresses.

Other Epilepsy Syndromes

The syndromes described above are the most commonly diagnosed, but many others also cause epilepsy. Examples include:

• Angelman syndrome
• Doose syndrome (myoclonic astatic epilepsy)
• Neurocutaneous syndromes (such as Sturge-Weber syndrome)
• Rasmussen’s syndrome
• Rett syndrome

Challenges Faced by People Living With Epilepsy

No matter the type of epilepsy, it can bring difficulties beyond the seizures themselves. Epilepsy can affect mood, disrupt sleep, affect social interactions, lead to thinking and memory problems, cause bone health issues, and, in some cases, increase the risk of early death. If any of these common challenges are affecting you or your child, talk to a health care provider to explore your treatment options.

Can You Have a Seizure and Not Know It?

Some types of epilepsy can lead to situations in which a person isn’t aware that they’re having seizures. Some types of focal seizures fall into this category, as can absence seizures. Different types of epilepsy can cause these seizures. If you suspect that you or someone you love is having seizures but is unaware of it, contact a neurologist right away.

Talk With Others Who Understand

On MyEpilepsyTeam, the social network for people with epilepsy, more than 123,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with epilepsy.

What kind of epilepsy do you or your child live with? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.