Neuronal activity that causes full body contractions and then transitions to alternating contractions and relaxation

• A. Absence
• B. Myoclonic seizure
• C. Clonic seizure
• D. Tonic-clonic seizure

Answer: (D)

Seizure movements can unfold in phases, and the pattern described—initial full-body stiffening followed by rhythmic contractions and relaxations—is the signature of a tonic-clonic seizure. The tonic phase involves sustained muscle stiffening and often a loss of consciousness, which sets the stage for the clonic phase where the body experiences rhythmic jerking from alternating muscle contractions and relaxations. This combination of tonic and clonic activity defines tonic-clonic seizures and is commonly followed by a period of confusion or fatigue known as the postictal state.

Other seizure types present differently: absence seizures are brief lapses in awareness with little to no motor activity; myoclonic seizures involve sudden brief jerks of individual muscle groups; clonic seizures feature repeated jerking without the preceding tonic stiffening. Thus, the sequence of stiffness then rhythmic jerking best matches the described event.