Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder characterized by recurrent seizures due to abnormal brain activity, which can result from various causes such as stroke, brain injury, or genetics. Seizures can manifest through loss of consciousness, changes in behavior, sensation, and movement, and are classified into partial and generalized types. Diagnosis typically involves EEG, MRI, and treatment generally includes anti-epileptic medications.

1. EPILEPSY
Prepared by:
Ms. Shivanee Vyas
Assistant professor
SVKM’s NMIMS, School of Pharmacy and Technology
Management
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2. Background to understand epilepsy
 Brain contains different lobes for various functions. Some functions of
brain include being alert, memory, thinking, behaviour, movement,
remembering etc.
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3.  The average human brain has about 86 million neurons.
 The neurons are electrically excitable cells function to process and
transmit information and allow information to pass from one neuron to
another.
 Neurons communicate through electrical impulses and neurotransmitter.
 When there is a sudden excessive electrical discharge that disrupts the
Normal activity of the nerve cells, a seizure may occurs.
 A balance between EPSP & IPSP normalized the electrical activity in brain.
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4. Term EPSP & IPSP
 Excitatory post synaptic potential
is a post synaptic potential that
make the post synaptic neurons to
fire on action potential like
acetylcholine and glutamate.
 Inhibitory post synaptic potential
that makes a postsynaptic neuron to
generate the action potential. An
IPSP like GABA (gamma amino
butyric acid) produces an IPSP
.
 A balance between EPSP & IPSP
normalized the electrical activity in
brain.
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5. What is Epilepsy?
 A central nervous system disorder in which brain activity become abnormal
and characterized by recurrent seizure (fits) with or without loss of
conscientiousness or amnesia. (loss of memory)
 During a seizure a person experiences abnormal behavior, change in
sensation, movement and consciousness.
 Seizure is a sudden, excessive, abnormal discharge of cerebral neurons.
 A pattern of repeated seizure is referred as EPILEPSY
 The origin of site of seizure is called EPILEPTIC FOCUS.
 Seizures involve disturbance of neuronal electrical activity which interferes
with the normal brain functions.
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6. Causes of Epilepsy
 Epilepsy is caused by a variety of different conditions affecting a
person’s brain
1. Stroke
2. Brain tumor
3. Brain injection
4. Brain injury
5. Loss of oxygen to the brain
6. Certain genetic conditions
7. Alcoholism etc.
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7. Seizure Symptoms:
Seizures symptoms vary according to the location of seizure activity. It includes
loss of consciousness.
 Alterations in non-motor functions (sensation, olfaction, vision.
 Change in the higher order functions. (Memory, emotions, language etc.
 A convulsion with no fever.
 Short blackouts or confused memory.
 Temporary unresponsiveness to instructions or questions.
 Sudden stiffness for no apparent reason.
 Sudden falling for no apparent reason.
 Temporarily seeming dazed and unable to communicate.
 Panic or anger.
 Jerking arms, legs, or body, which will appear as a cluster of rapid jerking movements
in babies. 7

8. Classification of seizure
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9. SEIZURE
Generalized
Partial/Focal
Complex
Simple
Clonic-Tonic Absence Atonic
Myoclonic Febrile fits
Infantile
spasms
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10. 1. PARTIAL SEIZURES
a. SIMPLE PARTIAL SEIZURES (without loss of consciousness)
 In this type only single area in one cerebral hemisphere involve and
abnormal electrical activity.
 Patient may have symptoms like hallucination (auditory, visual or
olfaction)
 It not affect on awareness or memory.
b. COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES (with partial loss of consciousness)
 This type of Seizures main effect memory and behavior.
 It also exhibit hallucination.
 The abnormal electrical activity occur in temporal and frontal area.
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11. 2. GENERALIZED SEIZURES:
Electrical discharge spread to both hemisphere. In the
seizure immediate loss of consciousness occur.
a. TONIC CLONIC SEIZURE: (grand mal epilepsy)
 It is characterized buy aura (change to thoughts,
sense or awareness) cry….unconsciousness….tonic
spasm….clonic jerking….sleep.
 Tonic phase: duration approx. 30 seconds. In this
phase tightening of the body occur.
 Clonic phase: duration 30- 60 seconds. In this phase
massive jerking off body occur.
b. ABSENCE SEIZURES: (Petit mal epilepsy)
 It consist of staring for a few seconds and then
returning to full function.
 Duration is less than 10 seconds.
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12. c. MYOCLONIC SEIZURES:
 It is characterized by short episodes of
involuntary shock like jerks. (contraction of the
muscle)
 It may involved whole body or arms or legs.
d. ATONIC SEIZURES:
 It is characterized by sudden loss of postural
tone.
 If standing patient fall suddenly And there is risk
of injury.
e. INFANTILE SPASMS:
 90% of affected patient have their first attack
before age of 1 year.
 Most patients are mentally retarded.
 The causes is due to infection or hypoglycemia.
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13. f. FEBRILE FITS:
 It is frequently occurs in young children (6 months to 6 years)
mainly occurs during high grade fever.
 It is characterized by tonic-clonic scissors for 1 to 5 minutes.
 They do not cause death or injury.
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14. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
 Abnormal functions of ion channels and neural network can result in
uncontrolled spread of electrical activity that forms the basic
Seizures.
 In seizures there is increased EPSP and decreases IPSP
.
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15. Diagnosis of Epilepsy
 EEG (electro-encephalogram)
 MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
 PET (positron emission tomography)
 Physical and neurological examination
TREATMENT
Anti-epileptic like phenytoin and valproic acid.
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