The nurse is observing a patient who is having a seizure that involves a blank s

1 -- Absence (or petit mal) seizures involve a blank stare, unresponsiveness to questions, and smacking of the lips. A partial seizure involves only one area of the brain. The symptoms displayed are reflective of the area affected and may be muscle contraction of a single body part if the motor cortex is affected. Sensory manifestations may be exhibited by hallucinations or abnormal sensations. Tonic-clonic seizures involve generalized contraction coupled with impairment of consciousness. Status epilepticus is a term used to describe repetitive seizures with only very brief calm periods in between.