health care    What's a grand mal seizure?  A grand mal seizure
is a seizure involving the entire body, usually characterized by
muscle rigidity, violent rhythmic muscle contractions, and loss
of consciousness. The condition is caused by abnormal electrical
activity in the nerve cells of the brain. Grand mal seizures
seizures (also called generalized tonic-clonic) are the type of
seizure that most people associate with the term "seizure,"
convulsion, or epilepsy. They may occur in people of any age, as
a single episode or as  a repeated, chronic condition
(epilepsy). The majority of seizures that do occur as just a
single episode are grand mal seizures rather than other types.
Generalized seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity
at multiple locations in the brain and/or over a large area of
the brain. This results in loss of consciousness and body
stiffening, which is followed by shaking of the arms and legs. A
typical grand mal seizure starts with a loss of consciousness
and falling down. This is