Which phase is commonly accompanied by apnea during seizures?

• A. Aura phase
• B. Tonic phase
• C. Postictal phase
• D. Tonic-clonic phase

Answer: (D)

Breathing is typically interrupted during a generalized seizure because the tonic phase involves sustained muscle contraction, including the chest wall and diaphragm, which briefly stops respiration. This apnea occurs at the onset of the seizure and often resolves as the clonic phase begins, though breathing may remain irregular. The aura is just a pre-seizure sensation, and the postictal period follows the seizure with altered consciousness and variable breathing rather than a true apnea event. Since the apnea is tied to the seizure itself, the option that describes the seizure as a whole—the tonic-clonic phase—best matches when apnea is commonly observed.