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Epilepsy in animals and List of people believed to have epilepsy cover topics complementary to this article, which deals with epilepsy in the general human population. Epilepsy (often referred to as a seizure disorder) is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. The condition is named from the Greek epilepsis ("to take a firm grip on"). It is commonly controlled with medication, although surgical methods are used as well.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in
the brain sometimes signal abnormally. In epilepsy, the normal pattern of
neuronal activity becomes disturbed, causing strange sensations, emotions, and
behavior or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness.
Epilepsy is a disorder with many possible causes. Anything that disturbs the
normal pattern of neuron activity - from illness to brain damage to abnormal
brain development - can lead to seizures. Epilepsy may develop because of an
abnormality in brain wiring, an imbalance of nerve signaling chemicals called
neurotransmitters, or some combination of these factors. Having a seizure does
not necessarily mean that a person has epilepsy. Only when a person has had two
or more seizures is he or she considered to have epilepsy. EEGs and brain scans
are common diagnostic test for epilepsy.
Who gets epilepsy and how is it caused?
* Epilepsy is very common
* Epilepsy can occur unexpectedly
* Epilepsy affects approximately 3% of Australians
* Most first seizures are experienced before the age of 20
* In 50% of cases, the cause is unknown. Some recognised causes are structural
brain damage; brain damage at birth or after a stroke; or serious infection such
as meningitis.
* Childhood epilepsies include neo-natal seizures, infantile spasms, myoclonic
seizures, febrile convulsions, absence seizures, tonic clonic seizures and
partial seizures where the activity is not located in any one particular part of
the brain.
* Older people, in particular those over 65, experience the second highest
incidence of first seizures. One common cause is stroke. Other possible causes
are head injuries, serious infection, alcoholism, tumours and dementia. Many
epilepsies in the elderly are still unclassified.
* Epilepsy and intellectual disability. The possibility of epilepsy is more
common in people who have an intellectual disability. Frequently, the cause of
both the intellectual disability and the epilepsy is unknown.
Is there any treatment?
Once epilepsy is diagnosed, it is important to begin treatment as soon as
possible. For about 80 percent of those diagnosed with epilepsy, seizures can be
controlled with modern medicines and surgical techniques. Some antiepiletic
drugs can interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. In 1997, the
FDA approved the vagus nerve stimulator for use in people with seizures that are
not well-controlled by medication.
What is the prognosis?
Most people with epilepsy lead outwardly normal lives. While epilepsy cannot
currently be cured, for some people it does eventually go away. Most seizures do
not cause brain damage. It is not uncommon for people with epilepsy, especially
children, to develop behavioral and emotional problems, sometimes the
consequence of embarrassment and frustration or bullying, teasing, or avoidance
in school and other social setting. For many people with epilepsy, the risk of
seizures restricts their independence (some states refuse drivers licenses to
people with epilepsy) and recreational activities. People with epilepsy are at
special risk for two life-threatening conditions: status epilepticus and sudden
unexplained death. Most women with epilepsy can become pregnant, but they should
discuss their epilepsy and the medications they are taking with their doctors.
Women with epilepsy have a 90 percent or better chance of having a normal,
healthy baby.
What research is being done?
Scientists are studying potential antiepileptic drugs with goal of enhancing
treatment for epilepsy. Scientists continue to study how neurotransmitters
interact with brain cells to control nerve firing and how non-neuronal cells in
the brain contribute to seizures. One of the most-studied neurotransmitters is
GABA, or gamma-aminobutryic acid. Researchers are working to identify genes that
may influence epilepsy. This information may allow doctors to prevent epilepsy
or to predict which treatments will be most beneficial. Doctors are now
experimenting with several new types of therapies for epilepsy, including
transplanting fetal pig neurons into the brains of patients to learn whether
cell transplants can help control seizures, transplanting stem cells, and using
a device that could predict seizures up to 3 minutes before they begin.
Researchers are continually improving MRI and other brain scans. Studies have
show that in some case, children may experience fewer seizures if they maintain
a strict diet - called the ketogenic diet - rich in fats and low in
carbohydrates.
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