Definition:
Todd's paresis or Todd's paralysis is focal weakness in a part of the body after a seizure. This weakness usually affects appendages and is localized to either the left or right side of the body. It typically subsides completely within 48 hours.
Diagnosis:
Examination of an individual who is experiencing or who has just experienced Todd's paralysis can help physicians identify the origin of the seizure.
Treatment:
Treatment of Todd's paralysis is symptomatic and supportive since the paralysis disappears quickly.
Symptoms and Signs:
The classic presentation of Todd's paresis is a temporary weakness of a hand, arm, or leg after partial seizure activity within that limb. When seizures affect areas other than the motor cortex, other transient neurological deficits can occur.
Causes:
The cause of Todd's paresis is not known but there are two hypotheses to its cause. The first is the depletion theory, where the motor cortex is exhausted resulting to prolonged neuronal hyperpolarization. The second is that there is temporary inactivation of motor fibres caused by activation of NMDA receptors.
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