Clonus seizures means rapidly alternating contraction and relaxation of a muscle -- in other words, repeated jerking.

The movements cannot be stopped by restraining or repositioning the arms or legs. Clonic seizures are rare, however. Much more common are tonic-clonic seizures, in which the jerking is preceded by stiffening (the "tonic" part).

Sometimes tonic-clonic seizures start with jerking alone. These are called clonic-tonic-clonic seizures.

Clonic seizures are not seen very often. They can occur at various ages, including in newborns. The EEG pattern will change during a seizure, so QEEG is very useful. A factor distinguishing clonic from tonic-clonic seizures is that clonic seizures are not followed by a period of tiredness or confusion; whereas Tonic-clonic seizures usually do.

Other Useful links about Seizure Disorders / Epilepsy

• Seizure Disorder / Epilepsy Overview
  • Read the overview of Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder
• Warning Signs of Seizures
  • Please review the warning signs, the symptoms of a seizure occurring , and the after-seizure symptoms
• Who develops Epilepsy?
  • Epilepsy can develop in any person at any age. Learn more about who develops epilepsy and when are most people likely to get it.
• What causes Epilepsy
  • Read about how strokes, tumors, and brain injuries contribute to the causes of epilepsy
• Types of Seizures
  • Generalized Seizures
    • Simple Absence seizures
    • Atypical Absence seizures
    • Myoclonic seizures
    • Atonic seizures
    • Tonic seizures
    • Tonic-clonic seizures
  • Partial Seizures
    • Simple partial seizures
    • Complex partial seizures
    • Secondarily generalized seizures