1. An active implantable medical device comprising: a plurality of electrodes configured to sense electrical signals from a patient; a detection subsystem comprising at least one sensing channel and at least one detection channel, the at least one sensing channel configured to receive the electrical signals from the plurality of electrodes and to provide a signal input to the at least one detection channel, the at least one detection channel configured to provide at least one output resulting from the application of at least one detection tool to the signal input, the at least one output in the form of a discrete signal event; and a processor and memory configured to detect one of an occurrence of a neurological event of interest or an absence of the neurological event of interest based on a sequence and timing of discrete signal events, the processor and memory comprising a state machine configured to receive the at least one discrete signal event as an input and to have a plurality of possible states including an initial state, an end state corresponding to the absence of the neurological event of interest, a detection state corresponding to the occurrence of the neurological event of interest, and a sequence of at least two noninitial possible states intermediate the initial state and the detection state, wherein at least one first possible discrete signal event input resulting from a detection of a first type of electrical activity from the patient causes a transition out of the initial state into a first state of the at least two noninitial possible states, at least one second possible discrete signal event input resulting from a detection of a second type of electrical activity from the patient within a first period of time causes a transition out of the first state into a second state of the at least two noninitial possible states, and at least one third possible discrete signal event input resulting from a detection of a third type of electrical activity from the patient within a second period of time causes a transition out of the second state into the detection state, and wherein an absence of the detection of the second type of electrical activity from the patient within the first period of time causes a transition out of the first state into the end state, and an absence of the detection of the third type of electrical activity from the patient within the second period of time causes a transition out of the second state into the end state.