Tonic seizures

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Muscle “tone” is the muscle’s normal tension at rest. In a tonic seizure, the tone is greatly increased: the body, arms, or legs become suddenly stiff or tense.

A person may be aware or have only a small change in awareness during a tonic seizure.
They usually happen during sleep and usually involve all or most of the brain, affecting both sides of the body.
They are short, usually less than 20 seconds.
A person may fall if standing when a tonic seizure starts.

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