Ictal

Ictal refers to a physiologic state or event such as a seizure, stroke, or headache. The word originates from the Latin ictus, meaning a blow or a stroke. In electroencephalography (EEG), the recording during a seizure is said to be "ictal".

Pre-ictal refers to the state immediately before the actual seizure, stroke, or headache, though it has recently come to light that some characteristics of this stage (such as visual auras) are actually the beginnings of the ictal state.