Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ictal
Introduction
Overview
Ictal refers to a physiologic state or event such as a seizure, stroke or headache. The word originates from the Latin ictus, meaning a blow or a stroke. In electroencephalography, or EEG, the recording during an actual seizure is said to be “ictal”.
Post-ictal refers to the state shortly after the event.
Inter-ictal refers to the period of time between seizure or convulsion in epilepsy. For most people with epilepsy, the inter-ictal state corresponds to more than 99% of their life. The inter-ictal period is often used by neurologists when diagnosing epilepsy since an EEG trace will often show small spikes and other abnormalities, known by neurologists as subclinical seizures. Inter-ictal EEG discharges are those abnormal waveforms not associated with seizure symptoms.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]