Which type of seizure is characterized primarily by a staring episode without confusion afterward?

Absence seizures are characterized by brief episodes of staring, during which the individual becomes momentarily unaware of their surroundings. These seizures typically last only a few seconds and do not result in confusion or postictal state afterward, which means that the person quickly returns to their baseline state without any lingering effects.

The defining feature of absence seizures is that they occur without any motor activity; instead, they primarily present as a sudden interruption of ongoing activity, often mistaken for daydreaming. This differentiates them clearly from other types of seizures that involve more complex symptoms or confusion post-event.

In contrast, complex partial seizures can involve alteration of awareness and may include confusion afterward, while generalized tonic-clonic seizures present with more dramatic symptoms such as convulsions and also result in a postictal state characterized by confusion. Simple partial seizures are marked by localized symptoms without loss of consciousness, which does not match the description of a staring episode. Thus, absence seizures fit the criteria of the question perfectly.