OverviewEpilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by the occurrence of multiple seizures over time. A seizure is the result of an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain. It is important to remember that not everyone who has a seizure has epilepsy.
What is going on in the body?A seizure occurs when excitable brain neurons (nerve cells) give off abnormal electrical discharges. There are different types of seizures. Epilepsy is diagnosed when an individual has multiple seizures over time.
Seizures are divided into two main types: generalized and partial. Generalized seizures occur when the abnormal discharges are start on both sides of the brain simultaneously. Partial seizures result from abnormal discharges from only one area of the brain.
Partial seizures are further separated into complex or simple. Complex partial seizures affect an individual's awareness or consciousness during the event whereas simple seizures do not.
Generalized seizure types include:
• absence seizures
• atonic seizures
• clonic seizures
• myoclonic seizures
• tonic seizures
• tonic-clonic seizures
Partial seizure types include:
• complex partial seizures
• secondary generalized seizures
• simple partial seizures
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?Signs and symptoms of seizure vary according to the type of seizure and include:
Generalized seizure types: Absence seizures used to be called petit mal seizures. They have the following characteristics:
• include small movements of the face or eyes
• involve staring into space
• last from a few seconds to a minute
• may include dulling of consciousness
• most commonly appear in children
Tonic-clonic seizures were formerly called grand mal seizures. These seizures have the following characteristics:
• begin suddenly without warning
• cause confusion or fatigue afterward
• include jerking of the arms and legs
• include loss of bladder control
• involve stiffening of the body
• last 1 to 2 minutes, with consciousness returning up to 15 minutes later
Some of the characteristics of atonic seizures include:
• consciousness may or may not be lost
• involve a loss of muscle tone
• last a few seconds
• the person may drop to the ground without warning
Myoclonic seizures generally are characterized by the following:
• involve quick muscle jerking
• may be triggered by too much alcohol
• may be triggered by lack of sleep
• usually don't cause loss of consciousness
• usually happen in the early morning
Clonic seizures may have the following characteristics:
• cause loss of consciousness
• involve muscle jerking
• most common in childhood
Partial seizure types:Simple partial seizures usually can be identified by the following:
• consciousness is not changed
• last a few seconds
• may involve body movements
• may lead to a generalized tonic-clonic seizure
• may result in a complex partial seizure
• things may look, sound, feel, or taste differently
Complex partial seizures may include the following characteristics:
• automatic behaviors, such as lip smacking
• confusion after the seizure is over
• loss of contact with the environment, even though the person is conscious
• loss of memory for events that occur during the seizure
• may go on to a generalized tonic-clonic seizure
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
Epilepsy may be caused by many diseases and conditions. Some of the conditions that can cause epilepsy are as follows: strokebrain tumorshead injuryhereditary seizure disorder infections involving the brain, including encephalitis and bacterial meningitisadvanced liver diseaseAlzheimer's disease and other types of dementiahistory of bleeding into the brain, such as a subarachnoid hemorrhagecongenital diseases or conditionshereditary diseasesabnormalities in the blood vessels of the brainhistory of brain surgeryillegal drugs, such as cocaineinjury during birth or in the uteruslead poisoning
What can be done to prevent the condition?
Damage to an unborn child during pregnancy and delivery may increase the risk of epilepsy. Women with high-risk pregnancies should be monitored closely. Many childhood infections can be prevented by appropriate vaccination. Protection against lead poisoning will help prevent epilepsy.
How is the condition diagnosed?
Diagnosis of epilepsy begins with a history and physical exam. The healthcare professional will ask about contributing illnesses or injuries. An electroencephalogram (EEG) will be ordered. An EEG measures electrical activity within the brain. If a seizure occurs during the EEG, the abnormal activity can be detected. However, a normal EEG does not rule out epilepsy because it may simply not have been run at the time seizure activity occurred.
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