Are mini seizures behind Mitch McConnell’s frightening freeze episodes? Doctor says knock-on effects of concussion earlier this year may be to blame

Veteran Senator Mitch McConnell froze in mid-sentence and stared blankly into space during a press conference today, just weeks after an almost identical episode.

The 81-year-old’s team has denied theories that the senator is unwell, saying only that he was “lightheaded,” but doctors told DailyMail.com that the symptoms had all the hallmarks of a seizure.

Dr. Keith Vossel, a neurologist at the University of California Los Angeles, said that while most consider seizures violent, “absence seizures” cause a sudden loss of awareness of the environment and a lack of responsiveness.

This is due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain that unbalances the chemical processes between nerve cells.

McConnell suffered a bad fall in March that left him with several broken ribs and a concussion, which Dr Vossel said may have led to a buildup of blood between the layers of tissue around the brain, a so-called subdural hematoma.

Loss of consciousness is a hallmark sign of absenteeism stroke. Senator McConnell seemed unable to acknowledge or was unaware that an aide repeated a reporter’s question to him

He said: ‘That is more common in older adults and in the future may actually lead to an increased risk of seizures because the blood clots around the brain can irritate the cortical structures and lead to excessive brain activity.’

While he was quick to emphasize that he is not the senator’s attending physician, Dr. Vossel focuses primarily on brain disorders that primarily affect senior citizens.

Having trouble understanding a reporter at a press conference in Kentucky, McConnell fell silent and remained in place for just over 30 seconds.

McConnell’s office later said the senator was “lightheaded” and insisted he was “fine,” but that he would see a doctor as a precaution.

But after watching the video, Dr. Vossel told DailyMail.com, “His eyes kind of flutter and his eyes wander to the right. That means there could be a seizure in the left side of his brain, pushing his eyes to the right.

“If someone is right-handed, the left side of the brain is more important for language, so I noticed that his eyes start to wander to the right as he freezes.

And then he kind of flaps his lips and his eyes flutter a little bit. So to me this looks like an absenteeism attack.’

The mention of seizures typically conjures up visions of people convulsing wildly and foaming at the mouth, but a non-motor seizure like the one Senator McConnell allegedly suffered is harder to spot and often misdiagnosed.

The absence seizure that appears to be a likely culprit does not manifest in the same way as motor seizures and typically lasts less than a minute.

An absence seizure, also called a petit mal seizure, results from abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A dysfunctional stream of ions, or charged particles that help nerve cells in the brain communicate, cause erroneous spikes of electrical impulses.

It typically affects a person’s awareness of the world around them and temporarily detaches them from external stimuli, including verbal cues or questions.

Age is an important risk factor for absenteeism attacks, while concussions are less so. However, that’s not to say that his March concussion was harmless.

He was treated for a concussion earlier this year after a fall at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, D.C., formerly the Trump International Hotel.

There’s plenty of speculation that the senator suffered a stroke in March related to his concussion, though Dr. Vossel isn’t exactly convinced.

He said: ‘I think if he had a real stroke, he would have had some residual effects after his fall that would have been noticed, such as hanging on the side of the face or not moving on one side as well as the other or speech problems.’

McConnell’s eyelids twitched and he smacked his lips, which are frequent signs of a passing seizure

As in the most recent episode, Mr McConnell seemed oblivious to lawmakers around him raising concerns

The first episode in which McConnell appeared to be suffering from an unknown neurological problem took place just over a month ago during his regularly scheduled press conference on Capitol Hill.

In the middle of his remarks, the senator stood there, frozen in place, for about thirty seconds, until he was led away shortly afterwards.

He said nothing for half a minute, despite being asked by fellow lawmakers present at the briefing if he was okay or if there was anything else he wanted to say to the press.

He returned to the briefing a few minutes later and then insisted he was “fine,” but his assurances didn’t stop the public from speculating that he had suffered a stroke mid-sentence.

Dr. Vossel said, “On the first episode, I was worried he might have an absence or a petit mal fit because these kinds of spells are short-lived.

“And when people have it, they might not realize they’re having the attack, and when they get out, they might not realize anything happened.”

Unlike the first episode where Mr. McConnell said nothing, the second incident on Wednesday elicited a faint ‘yes’ when an aide closer to the senator asked if he had heard the reporter’s question about his 2026 re-election bid. he seemed unable to answer further.

“These kinds of spells can affect someone’s receptive language skills, not just expressive language skills.

“And so it wouldn’t be surprising if, like a petit mal seizure, it could have happened when he couldn’t understand it as well as others in the room,” said Dr Vossel.