What kind of seizure involves impaired awareness and/or consciousness?

Complex partial seizures are characterized by impaired awareness and/or consciousness, making them distinct from other types of seizures. During a complex partial seizure, the individual may appear to be awake but is actually in a state of altered consciousness, which can result in confusion or a lack of responsiveness to external stimuli. This impaired awareness means that the person may not remember the event afterward, as their cognitive functions are temporarily disrupted.

In contrast, simple partial seizures do not involve a loss of consciousness; individuals typically remain aware of their surroundings. Tonic-clonic seizures also involve a loss of consciousness but are distinguished by their tonic (stiffening) and clonic (jerking) phases. Absence seizures feature a brief lapse in awareness, often lasting only a few seconds, but they do not have the same complexity of symptoms or cognitive alterations as complex partial seizures. Therefore, the defining feature of impaired awareness and consciousness during a complex partial seizure solidifies it as the correct choice.