What is Epilepsy and Its Causes and Treatment

Epilepsy is a condition in which people have epileptic attacks (also known as seizures). It is one of the more common neurological conditions, affecting 0.5-1 per cent of the population. Epilepsy is not a single condition, but a group of conditions with differing causes, treatments and prognoses.

In epilepsy this order is disrupted by some neurone discharging signals inappropriately. There may be a kind of brief electrical "storm" arising from nuerones that are inherently unstable because of a genetic defect (as in the various types of inherited epilepsy), or from neurones made unstable by metabolic abnormalities such as low blood glucose, or alcohol. Alternatively, the abnormal discharge may come from a localised area of the brain (this is the situation in patients with epilepsy caused by head injury, or brain tumour).

Background
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was defined in 1985 by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) as a condition characterized What Causes Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a condition in which people have epileptic attacks (also known as seizures). It is one of the more common neurological conditions, affecting 0.5-1 per cent of the population. Epilepsy is not a single condition, but a group of conditions with differing causes, treatments and prognoses.

In epilepsy this order is disrupted by some neurone discharging signals inappropriately. There may be a kind of brief electrical "storm" arising from nuerones that are inherently unstable because of a genetic defect (as in the various types of inherited epilepsy), or from neurones made unstable by metabolic abnormalities such as low blood glucose, or alcohol. Alternatively, the abnormal discharge may come from a localised area of the brain (this is the situation in patients with epilepsy caused by head injury, or brain tumour).

Background
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was defined in 1985 by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) as a condition characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures originating from the medial or lateral temporal lobe. The seizures associated with TLE consist of simple partial seizures without loss of awareness (with or without aura) and complex partial seizures (ie, with loss of awareness).

The individual loses awareness during a complex partial seizure because the seizure spreads to involve both temporal lobes, which causes impairment of memory.

Diagnosis
Epilepsy is diagnosed mainly via interpretation of a patient's medical history; the patient describes what the seizures were like and, when a patient can't recall the seizures, witnesses also may be asked to describe what they saw.
Tests may be done to rule out shortterm causes of seizures, such as uncontrolled diabetes or infections. A complete neurological exam is done, including an EEG (electroencephalogram, a machine that records brain waves picked up by wires taped to the head).

Can Epilepsy be Prevented?
Many cases of epilepsy can be prevented by wearing seatbelts and bicycle helmets, putting children in car seats, and other measures that prevent head injury and other trauma. Prescribing medication after first or second seizures or febrile seizures also may help

prevent epilepsy in some cases.
High-fat diet to control epilepsy?
new study shows strong evidence that a high fat, low carb diet can help control seizures in children with stubborn epilepsy that does not respond well to drug therapy.

Infection - epilepsy risk
Exposure to certain maternal infections in the womb increases the odds of epilepsy in childhood, according to an analysis of data from a Danish study.

Drug treatment of epilepsy
It is conventional to speak of someone having epilepsy, but it might be better particularly in relation to promoting better drug treatment if we were to think in terms of one of the epilepsies. Appropriate management requires not only that doctors differentiate between epilepsy and other similar attacks but also that they identify correctly patients' seizure types and, in some cases, the syndrome (for example, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy).

Treatment for people with epilepsy aged 13 and over
Epilepsy is a very individual condition and people can have very different experiences. The majority of people with epilepsy take anti-epileptic medication to stop or reduce the number of seizures they have.
by recurrent unprovoked seizures originating from the medial or lateral temporal lobe. The seizures associated with TLE consist of simple partial seizures without loss of awareness (with or without aura) and complex partial seizures (ie, with loss of awareness).

The individual loses awareness during a complex partial seizure because the seizure spreads to involve both temporal lobes, which causes impairment of memory.

Diagnosis
Epilepsy is diagnosed mainly via interpretation of a patient's medical history; the patient describes what the seizures were like and, when a patient can't recall the seizures, witnesses also may be asked to describe what they saw.
Tests may be done to rule out shortterm causes of seizures, such as uncontrolled diabetes or infections. A complete neurological exam is done, including an EEG (electroencephalogram, a machine that records brain waves picked up by wires taped to the head).

Can Epilepsy be Prevented?
Many cases of epilepsy can be prevented by wearing seatbelts and bicycle helmets, putting children in car seats, and other measures that prevent head injury and other trauma. Prescribing medication after first or second seizures or febrile seizures also may help

prevent epilepsy in some cases.
High-fat diet to control epilepsy?
new study shows strong evidence that a high fat, low carb diet can help control seizures in children with stubborn epilepsy that does not respond well to drug therapy.

Infection - epilepsy risk
Exposure to certain maternal infections in the womb increases the odds of epilepsy in childhood, according to an analysis of data from a Danish study.

Drug treatment of epilepsy
It is conventional to speak of someone having epilepsy, but it might be better particularly in relation to promoting better drug treatment if we were to think in terms of one of the epilepsies. Appropriate management requires not only that doctors differentiate between epilepsy and other similar attacks but also that they identify correctly patients' seizure types and, in some cases, the syndrome (for example, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy).

Treatment for people with epilepsy aged 13 and over
Epilepsy is a very individual condition and people can have very different experiences. The majority of people with epilepsy take anti-epileptic medication to stop or reduce the number of seizures they have.