What term is the sensory warning before a seizure?

• A. Aura
• B. Intracranial Pressure
• C. Epidural Hematoma
• D. Cushing Triad

Answer: (A)

Aura is the sensory warning before a seizure. It’s a subjective event that signals the onset of a focal seizure and can take many forms, such as unusual smells or tastes, flashes of light, tingling, dizziness, déjà vu, or fear. Because an aura reflects activity in a specific brain region, it can help indicate where the seizure starts. In some people with generalized seizures, there may be no aura at all. The other options describe brain problems not related to a pre-seizure warning: intracranial pressure refers to elevated pressure inside the skull, epidural hematoma is a traumatic bleed between the skull and dura, and Cushing triad is a set of signs (high blood pressure, slow heart rate, irregular respirations) indicating dangerous intracranial hypertension.