Patient's question:
Recently, my child has shown some tics, and I'm not sure if it's epilepsy. I've asked many people, but they're not very clear. What are the differences between tics and epilepsy? How can we distinguish between pediatric tics and epilepsy? A more professional answer would be appreciated.Doctor's answer:
Tics and epilepsy are two diseases with completely different natures. Epilepsy, commonly known as "fainting wind," is a chronic disease characterized by sudden abnormal discharges of brain neurons, leading to temporary dysfunction of the brain. Because minor seizures of epilepsy can also cause facial muscle tics, this is why tics are sometimes mistaken for epilepsy. Teacher Yu said that the difference between the two lies in this: epilepsy is caused by inhibition of the cerebral cortex, resulting in brief loss of consciousness, and after recovery, the child cannot accurately describe what happened. It usually occurs at night. Tics are related to motor nerve issues; they are fine at night and will never faint or fall down. When undergoing an electroencephalogram (EEG) test at the hospital, the EEG results of most children with tics are normal, while those with epilepsy show abnormal EEG results. This is the key to the diagnostic difference.