Myoclonic seizures cause brief, uncontrollable jerking or twitching of muscles, usually in a single muscle or several nearby muscles. They can affect one or both sides of the body, depending on the type of epilepsy. They occur most often in people with generalized epilepsy.
UPMC epilepsy experts provide advanced care for myoclonic seizures, including first-line treatment with antiseizure medications. If seizures continue despite medications, our neurologists will work with our neurosurgery experts to discuss surgical options to reduce seizure activity.
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What Are Myoclonic Seizures?
Myoclonic seizures cause brief, uncontrollable jerking or twitching of muscles, usually in a single muscle or several nearby muscles. They can affect one or both sides of the body, depending on the type of epilepsy. They occur most often in people with generalized epilepsy.
What are the types of epilepsy that cause myoclonic seizures?
There are several types of epilepsy that are associated with myoclonic seizures, including but not limited to:
- Dravet syndrome — A severe form of epilepsy with onset in childhood, often associated with a specific genetic mutation and frequently associated with multiple seizure types and developmental delays.
- Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy — Typically an inherited condition that causes symptoms to start between ages 12 and 18. Myoclonic seizures may be the only seizure type a person has, or they may be accompanied by other seizure types as well.
- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome — A severe form of epilepsy usually diagnosed in early childhood that typically includes multiple seizure types and a degree of intellectual disability.
- Myoclonic-astatic epilepsy — Also known as Doose syndrome, where myoclonic seizures may be followed by a brief loss of muscle tone.
- Myoclonic epilepsy of infancy — Also known as benign myoclonic epilepsy of infancy, myoclonic seizures typically occur before age 3. They primarily affect the head and upper extremities, with resolution usually within five years after onset.
- Progressive myoclonic epilepsy — A rare, severe group of epilepsies that worsen over time, usually associated with progressive neurologic deterioration.
How common are myoclonic seizures?
Myoclonic seizures are a common type of seizure, particularly in people diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
What causes myoclonic seizures?
All epileptic seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
Myoclonic seizure risk factors
You may be at higher risk of myoclonic seizures if you:
- Have a family history of epilepsy.
- Have a genetic disorder that predisposes you to epilepsy.
- Have an intellectual disability.
- Have a history of hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Complications of myoclonic seizures
Seizures can cause physical injury and death.
Serious complications of myoclonic seizures may include:
- Status epilepticus — Long-lasting seizures or seizures that occur one after another.
- Sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) — A rare condition that causes sudden death without a clear cause in people with epilepsy, often during sleep.
How can I prevent myoclonic seizures?
Seizures can affect anyone, so you may not be able to prevent them.
However, you may be able to reduce your risk by:
- Avoiding misuse of alcohol, prescription medications, or recreational drugs.
- Avoiding known or possible seizure triggers.
- Getting timely treatment for infections.
- Managing chronic health conditions.
- Taking antiseizure medications as prescribed.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Myoclonic Seizures?
Myoclonic seizures cause sudden, uncontrollable twitching or jerking muscle movements.
The muscle movements usually are:
- Brief, lasting only a fraction of a second.
- Isolated to one muscle or a small group of nearby muscles on either one side or both sides of the body.
- Limited to one abnormal movement or a few movements within a very short time.
When should I see a doctor about my myoclonic seizure symptoms?
If you are having symptoms of myoclonic seizures, you should schedule an appointment with your provider right away. If your seizure symptoms are severe, dial 911 or ask someone to take you to the nearest hospital Emergency Department.
How Do You Diagnose Myoclonic Seizures?
To diagnose myoclonic seizures, your provider will perform a physical examination and review your symptoms and medical history. Your doctor may also order tests to confirm your diagnosis or rule out other problems.
What to expect during your visit
During your visit, your provider will:
- Ask you about your symptoms.
- Order tests.
- Perform a physical and neurological exam.
- Review your medical history.
Tests to diagnose myoclonic seizures
Your provider may order tests to confirm your diagnosis or rule out other conditions, including:
- Blood tests — Check for infections and abnormalities.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) — Checks for abnormal electrical activity in your brain that may cause seizures.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — Creates images of your brain to look for damaged or abnormal areas.
- Neurological examination — A noninvasive physical examination to check your reflexes, balance, movement, memory, and ability to think.
Myoclonic seizure prognosis
With treatment, myoclonic seizures can be managed, and most people with epilepsy can live normal lives. People with drug-resistant epilepsy may be candidates for surgery or other therapies that can reduce seizures and improve quality of life.
How Do You Treat Myoclonic Seizures?
The goals of myoclonic seizure treatment are to prevent seizures, minimize treatment-related side effects, and improve quality of life.
Treatment options may include:
Lifestyle changes
If you and your epilepsy care team can identify triggers that lead to myoclonic seizures, you may be able to make lifestyle changes to reduce the number of seizures you experience.
Dietary changes
Your provider may recommend following a specialized, high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, such as the ketogenic diet, to help manage seizures.
Medications for epilepsy
Medications are first-line treatments that help to control myoclonic seizures in most people with epilepsy. Your doctor will work with you to identify the medications, or combination of medications, that work best for you with minimal side effects.
Surgery to treat epilepsy
In at least one-third of people with epilepsy, myoclonic seizures continue even with medication.
Epilepsy surgery may be an effective option if:
- Medication side effects are not tolerated.
- At least two different medications have not been effective at controlling seizures.
UPMC neurosurgeons offer a range of surgical options for people with epilepsy, including:
Neurosurgical procedures
Neurosurgical procedures for epilepsy include:
- Craniotomy for resection of seizure focus — Involves surgically removing the abnormal brain tissue causing seizures.
- Laser ablation — Minimally invasive surgery using focused heat to destroy the abnormal brain tissue causing seizures.
Other less commonly performed surgeries include multiple subpial transections (MST), corpus callosotomy, and other procedures that reduce abnormal electrical impulses in the brain.
Neuromodulation device implantation
Your neurosurgeon may recommend a procedure to implant a neuromodulation device that sends electrical impulses to your brain. These impulses regulate or disrupt abnormal electrical signals, reducing seizures.
Procedures include:
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) — Implantation of electrodes in the brain to directly deliver electrical impulses that can reduce seizure activity.
- Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) — Implantation of a device in the chest that delivers electrical impulses to the vagus nerve in your neck in an effort to prevent or disrupt seizures.
- Responsive neurostimulation (RNS®) — Implantation of a device within the skull and electrodes within the brain that can detect seizure activity and respond with electrical stimulation to disrupt seizures.
Why Choose UPMC for Myoclonic Seizure Care?
When you choose UPMC for myoclonic seizure care, you will receive:
- Multidisciplinary care — Our team of neurologists, epileptologists, and neurosurgeons can work together to develop a customized epilepsy treatment plan that helps you manage seizures and minimize treatment side effects for medication-resistant epilepsy.
- Access to advanced clinical trials — Our team participates in national, multicenter clinical trials evaluating new epilepsy treatments, giving you the opportunity to contribute to research that advances seizure disorder care.
- Expert neurosurgery care — People with medication-resistant epilepsy can access cutting-edge, minimally invasive neurosurgery treatment options that may help reduce seizures and restore quality of life.
