A professor in the middle of a lecture unbuttoned his shirt and rebuttoned it several times in rapid succession, started to sing, and then ran out of the room. He was discovered several hours later sleeping in the rain on a bench in front of the university library. He could not remember his classroom behavior, and he had no idea how he had fallen asleep in the rain. The professor may have experienced
A) a tonic-clonic attack.
B) a generalized seizure.
C) a complex partial seizure.
D) a spike-and-wave discharge.
E) an absence attack.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The professor's behavior is consistent with a complex partial seizure, which can cause a variety of bizarre and involuntary behaviors, as well as memory loss for the event. The fact that he slept in the rain suggests that he may have been in a postictal state, which commonly occurs after a seizure and can cause confusion and disorientation. The other options are less likely, as they typically involve more obvious physical symptoms or brief loss of consciousness.

A Professor in the Middle of a Lecture Unbuttoned His