what causes absence seizures in adults

Absence seizures in adults are usually caused by abnormal, brief bursts of electrical activity in the brain, and they often have a genetic basis. In adults, they may also be linked to medication effects or withdrawal, alcohol, sleep deprivation, stress, or less commonly an underlying brain or autoimmune condition.

What’s going on

An absence seizure is a short lapse in awareness, often with staring or “blanking out,” and it can last only a few seconds. The underlying issue is disrupted brain signaling, where neurons fire in a repeating abnormal pattern.

Common causes and contributors

• Genetics. Absence seizures often run on a genetic pattern, and research has linked certain genes involved in brain signaling to them.

• Medication effects. Some antiseizure medicines can worsen absence seizures in certain people, including carbamazepine, phenytoin, and gabapentin.

• Withdrawal or triggers. Alcohol, sleep deprivation, stress, and abrupt benzodiazepine withdrawal can contribute to seizures or make them more likely.

• Other medical conditions. Autoimmune encephalitis and some other autoimmune or neurologic problems can be associated with seizures, though these more often cause other seizure types.

Adult-specific note

True absence seizures are more common in children, so when they appear in adults, doctors also think about whether the episodes could instead be a different seizure type, especially focal seizures, which can look similar.

When to get checked

If an adult is having repeated staring spells, brief loss of awareness, or unexplained lapses in time, it’s worth getting a medical evaluation soon. A clinician may look for seizure type, medication triggers, metabolic issues, and possible brain or immune causes.

If you want, I can also give you a quick list of symptoms that help distinguish absence seizures from daydreaming or focal seizures.