For many people, a glioma is first discovered after a seizure. A first-ever seizure in an adult is one of the most common reasons a brain MRI is ordered that ultimately reveals a tumor — so if this is how your journey started, you are far from alone.
Why do gliomas cause seizures? A seizure is a burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A tumor — and the irritated, altered brain tissue around it — can disrupt the normal electrical environment and trigger this misfiring. Slower-growing tumors like low-grade gliomas and oligodendrogliomas are actually more likely to cause seizures than some faster-growing tumors, partly because they irritate the surrounding cortex over time.
Seizures don't always look like the dramatic, full-body convulsions people picture. They can be focal, affecting one part of the brain, and may show up as:
- A strange rising sensation, smell, taste, or déjà vu
- Twitching or stiffening of one limb or one side of the face
- A brief period of confusion, staring, or being unable to speak
- Temporary weakness or odd sensations
Or they can be generalized, involving loss of consciousness and convulsions of the whole body.
What it means and what's done A tumor-related seizure usually leads to treatment with anti-seizure medication to prevent further episodes, and seizure control becomes an ongoing part of glioma care. Treating the tumor itself (with surgery, for example) can also reduce or stop seizures in many people. Seizures also carry practical consequences — most regions have driving restrictions after a seizure, so ask your team about local rules and about safety at home and work.
If you witness someone having a convulsive seizure, keep them safe (cushion the head, turn them on their side, don't put anything in their mouth), time it, and call emergency services if it lasts more than five minutes, repeats, or the person doesn't recover.