Review Question - QID 211022

An 15-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department after he passed out in the hallway. On presentation, he is alert but confused about why he is in the hospital. He says that he remembers seeing flashes of light to his right while walking out of class but cannot recall what happened next. His next memory is being woken up by emergency responders who wheeled him into an ambulance. A friend who was with him at the time says that he seemed to be swallowing repeatedly and staring out into space. He has never had an episode like this before, and his past medical history is unremarkable. Which of the following characteristics is most likely true of the cause of this patient's symptoms?