Epilepsy 101
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurring, unprovoked seizures. Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
What is a seizure?
Seizures are categorized into two types, either focal or generalized, based on how and where the brain activity causing the seizure begins. Seizure symptoms can vary depending on how much of the seizure is effecting the brain. Some people may lose awareness during a seizure but others don't. Some people stare blankly for a few seconds during a seizure and others may repeatedly twitch their arms or legs, known as convulsions.
Who can have epilepsy?
Anyone can develop epilepsy, regardless of age, race, or gender. While it's more common in childhood and older adulthood, it can start at any time due to factors like genetics, brain injury, stroke, infections, or sometimes with no clear cause.
What is a aura?
An aura is the very first part of a seizure, caused by abnormal electrical activity in a small area of the brain. It acts like a brief "starting signal" and results in a sudden, temporary change in senses, movement, thoughts, or feelings that the person is aware of. The specific experience of an aura depends on where in the brain the seizure begins. In other cases, some people do not have am aura.
Development of Epilepsy
Lack of Sleep
Missed Medication
Stress
Genetic Conditions
Flashing Lights
Hormones
Unknown Cause
Alcohol & Drugs Misuse
Brain Injury/Tumor
Focal Onset Seizures (Partial Seizures)
These seizures start on one side of the brain
The person remains conscious and aware of what's happening. They may experience unusual sensations (like changes in taste, smell, vision, or hearing), emotions, or movements in one part of the body. These are sometimes called "auras."
Focal Aware Seizures (Simple Partial)
The person's awareness or consciousness is altered. They may seem dazed, confused, or unresponsive. They might make repetitive movements like lip-smacking, chewing, or hand-wringing. They often don't remember the seizure afterwa
Real Focal Impaired Awareness Seizures (Complex Partial)
These start as focal seizures but then spread to involve both sides of the brain, resulting in a loss of consciousness and full-body stiffening and jerking (tonic-clonic seizure).
Focal to Bilateral Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Generalized Onset Seizures
These seizures affect both sides of the brain from the beginning
Absence Seizures (Petit Mal
These cause a brief loss of awareness, often with staring, blinking, or mild jerking movements. The person usually returns to full awareness quickly and may not even realize a seizure occurred. They are more common in children.
Tonic-Clonic Seizures (Grand Mal)
This is what many people think of when they hear "seizure." It involves a loss of consciousness, body stiffening (tonic phase), followed by rhythmic jerking movements (clonic phase). It can last from seconds to several minutes and is often followed by a period of confusion and tiredness (postictal state).
Myoclonic Seizures
These are brief, sudden jerks or twitches of a muscle or group of muscles. They often occur in clusters, especially after waking up.
Unknown Onset Seizures
Sometimesit's not clear where a seizure originates
Starting Point
Focal seizures start in one part of the brain, while generalized seizures involve both sides from the onset
Awareness
Awareness is usually maintained in focal aware seizures but is impaired or lost in focal impaired awareness and generalized seizures (except for possibly some myoclonic or brief absence seizures).
Body Involvement
Focal seizures may involve movement or sensation on only one side of the body, while generalized seizures typically affect both sides.
Treatment for Seizures
There are a few different ways to treat epilepsy, and reduce the amount of seizures
Medication
If someone is diagnosed with epilepsy, your doctor will prescribe an anti-seizure medication to help control the seizures. Some people may need a combination of medicine to help control their seizures. In some cases, people cam be drug resistant to medication and need to find another route to control their seizures.
EEGs
Electroencephalogram measures your brain's electrical activity and it can help identify where the seizure is starting, and whether it is focal onset or generalized onset.
Surgery
Surgery for epilepsy involved cutting or removing part of the brain where seizures are happening and help control or reduce the amount of seizures one is having. Vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) is a small electrical device that is implanted under the skin to stimulate the vagus nerve, which controls some of your brain activity. The device helps control certain seizures by stimulation the nerve and try to prevent them before starting.