A 7-year-old demonstrates a brief episode of staring that lasts about 10 seconds with no recall. What type of seizure is this?

• A. Focal Impaired Awareness (complex partial)
• B. Atonic
• C. Tonic-clonic
• D. Absence

Answer: (D)

This scenario highlights brief lapses of consciousness in a child. Absence seizures cause short periods of unresponsiveness—often just a few seconds—during which the child stares and may have subtle motions like eye blinking or lip smacking, but there is no recall of the event afterward. The child typically resumes activity immediately after, with no postictal confusion. A duration around 10 seconds fits the classic window for an absence spell.

This differs from other seizure types in a way that makes absence the best fit here. Focal impaired awareness seizures involve impaired consciousness with more noticeable automatisms and usually longer or more complex episodes, and there is often memory impairment after the event. Atonic seizures lead to a sudden loss of muscle tone and potential falls. Tonic-clonic seizures involve generalized stiffening followed by jerking and a postictal period of confusion or sleepiness. Absent spells in children are characteristically brief, with preserved motor function aside from minimal automatisms and no recall, matching the description given.