Reflex Anoxic Seizures

Reflex anoxic seizures or RAS are a form of syncope encountered mainly, but not exclusively, in young children. Reflex anoxic seizures are not epileptic. By definition, a syncope is from the Greek, “a cutting off,” implying an abrupt interruption in the supply of energy to the cerebral cortex. This is usually a consequence of a reduction in cerebral perfusion by oxygenated blood. It can be a result of either a sudden reduction in the blood flow to the brain, a drop in the oxygen content of the blood supplying the brain, or a combination of the two. 'Syncope' can have different meanings ranging from transient loss of consciousness, usually accompanied by a decrease or loss in postural tone (the principal manifestations of “simple faints”), to tonic and myoclonic events and nonepileptic spasms.