A rare variety of migraine with aura characterized by the presence of a motor weakness during the aura. There are two main forms depending on the familial history: patients with at least one first- or second-degree relative who has aura including motor weakness have familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM); patients without such familial history have sporadic hemiplegic migraine (SHM).

Seizures are an intermittent abnormality of the central nervous system due to a sudden, excessive, disorderly discharge of cerebral neurons and characterized clinically by some combination of disturbance of sensation, loss of consciousness, impairment of psychic function, or convulsive movements. The term epilepsy is used to describe chronic, recurrent seizures.