Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) RMA-AMT Module 1 Practice Test

Grand mal refers to generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which begin with a stiffening (tonic) of the body followed by rhythmic jerking (clonic) and often a postictal period of confusion or sleepiness. These events typically last a few minutes, usually around 1 to 3 minutes and sometimes up to five minutes. This distinguishes it from other seizure types: petit mal (absence) involves brief lapses in consciousness lasting only a few seconds; myoclonic seizures are sudden, brief muscle jerks without the full stiffening-and-shiking pattern; tonic seizures involve sustained stiffening without the clonic jerking. So, the term that fits seizures lasting up to five minutes in the classic sense is grand mal.