Which type of seizure is described by generalized stiffness followed by rhythmic jerking of the whole body?

• A. Absence seizure
• B. Atonic seizure
• C. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure
• D. Myoclonic seizure

Answer: (C)

Understanding seizure types by how they look as they happen helps you identify them. When a seizure starts with generalized stiffening of the muscles, the body becomes rigid (the tonic phase), often with loss of consciousness and stiff extension of the arms, legs, and trunk. This is immediately followed by rhythmic, repeated muscle contractions (the clonic phase) that cause the limbs to jerk in a coordinated, jerky pattern across the whole body. This progression—a period of generalized stiffness, then rhythmic jerking of the entire body—is characteristic of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure.

Other types have different patterns: absence seizures show brief lapses in awareness with a blank stare and usually no stiffening or full-body jerking; atonic seizures involve a sudden loss of muscle tone leading to falls; myoclonic seizures produce sudden, brief jerks without the sustained stiffening and prolonged rhythmic jerking seen in generalized tonic-clonic seizures.