Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes repeated, sudden, brief changes in the brain's electrical activity. These changes cause various types of symptoms.

1. What Is It?
Epilepsy is a brain condition thatcauses repeated, sudden, brief changes in the brain's electrical activity.These
changes causevarious types of symptoms.
Epileptic episodes arecalled seizures or convulsions.Duringa seizure,brain cells fireuncontrollably atup to four
times their normal rate. Seizures temporarily affect the way a person behaves, moves, thinks or feels.
There are two main types of seizures:
 A primary generalized seizureinvolves the entire brain.
 A partial seizurebegins in onebrain area.It affects only part of the brain.However, a partial seizurecan
turn into a generalized seizure.
Many conditions can affectthe brain and trigger epilepsy. These include:
 Brain injury,either before or after birth
 Brain tumors
 Infections,especially meningitisand encephalitis
 Genetic conditions
 Abnormal blood vessels in the brain
 Lead poisoning
In most people with epilepsy,the specific causeis unknown.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
Seizures arethe main symptom of epilepsy.Symptoms differ from person to person and accordingto the type of
seizure.
Focal (partial) seizures
A simplepartial seizuredoesn’t involveloss of consciousness.Symptoms include:
 alterations to sense of taste, smell,sight, hearing,or touch
 dizziness
 tinglingand twitchingof limbs
Complex partial seizures involvelossof awareness or consciousness.Other symptoms include:
 staringblankly
 unresponsiveness
 performing repetitive movements
Generalized seizures
Generalized seizures involvethe whole brain. There aresix types:

2. Absence seizures, which used to be called “petit mal seizures,” causea blank stare. This type of seizuremay also
causerepetitive movements likelip smackingor blinking.There’s also usually a shortloss of awareness.
Tonic seizures causemuscle stiffness.
Atonic seizures lead to loss of musclecontrol and can make you fall down suddenly.
Clonic seizures are characterized by repeated, jerky musclemovements of the face, neck, and arms.
Myoclonic seizures causespontaneous quick twitchingof the arms and legs.
Tonic-clonic seizures used to be called “grand mal seizures.”Symptoms include:
 stiffeningof the body
 shaking
 loss of bladder or bowel control
 bitingof the tongue
 loss of consciousness
Followinga seizure,you may not remember havingone, or you might feel slightly ill for a few hours.
What causes epilepsy?
For 6 out of 10 people with epilepsy,the causecan’t be determined. A variety of things can lead to seizures.
Possiblecauses include:
 traumatic brain injury
 scarringon the brain after a brain injury (post-traumatic epilepsy)
 serious illnessor very high fever
 stroke, which is a leadingcauseof epilepsy in people over age 35
 other vasculardiseases
 lack of oxygen to the brain
 brain tumor or cyst
 dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
 maternal drug use, prenatal injury,brain malformation,or lack of oxygen at birth
 infectious diseases such as AIDS and meningitis
 genetic or developmental disorders or neurological diseases
Heredity plays a rolein some types of epilepsy.In the general population,there’s a 1 percent chance of developing
epilepsy before 20 years of age. If you have a parent whose epilepsy is linked to genetics, that increases your risk
to 2 to 5 percent.
Genetics may also make some people more susceptibleto seizures from environmental triggers.
Epilepsy can develop at any age. Diagnosis usually occurs in early childhood or after age 60.
How is epilepsy treated?

3. Most people can manage epilepsy.Your treatment plan will bebased on severity of symptoms, your health, and
how well you respond to therapy.
Some treatment options include:
 Anti-epileptic (anticonvulsant, antiseizure) drugs: These medications can reduce the number of seizures
you have. In some people, they eliminateseizures.To be effective, the medication must be taken exactly
as prescribed.
 Vagus nerve stimulator: This device is surgically placed under the skin on the chest and electrically
stimulates the nerve that runs through your neck. This can help prevent seizures.
 Ketogenic diet: More than half of people who don’t respond to medication benefit from this high fat, low
carbohydratediet.
 Brain surgery: The area of the brain thatcauses seizureactivity can be removed or altered.
Research into new treatments is ongoing.One treatment that may be avail ablein thefuture is deep brain
stimulation.It’s a procedure in which electrodes are implanted into your brain.Then a generator is implanted in
your chest. The generator sends electrical impulses to the brain to help decrease seizures.
Another avenue of research involves a pacemaker-likedevice. It would check the pattern of brain activity and send
an electrical chargeor drug to stop a seizure.
Minimally invasivesurgeries and radiosurgery arealso beinginvestigated.
Medications for epilepsy
The first-linetreatment for epilepsy is antiseizuremedication.These drugs help reduce the frequency and severity
of seizures.They can’t stop a seizure that’s already in progress,nor is ita cure for epilepsy.
The medication is absorbed by the stomach.Then ittravels the bloodstreamto the brain.Itaffects
neurotransmitters in a way that reduces the electrical activity thatleads to seizures.
Antiseizure medications pass through the digestive tractand leave the body through urine.
There are many antiseizuredrugs on the market. Your doctor can prescribea singledrug or a combination of
drugs, depending on the type of seizures you have.
Common epilepsy medications include:
 levetiracetam (Keppra)
 lamotrigine(Lamictal)
 topiramate (Topamax)
 valproic acid (Depakote)
 carbamazepine(Tegretol)
 ethosuximide (Zarontin)
These medications aregenerally availablein tablet,liquid,or injectableforms and aretaken once or twice a day.
You’ll startwith the lowest possibledose,which can be adjusted until itstarts to work. These medications mustbe
taken consistently and as prescribed.

4. Some potential sideeffects may include:
 fatigue
 dizziness
 skin rash
 poor coordination
 memory problems
Rare, but serious sideeffects includedepression and inflammation of the liver or other organs.
Epilepsy is differentfor everybody, but most people improve with antiseizuremedication.Some children with
epilepsy stop havingseizures and can stop takingmedication.
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