Epilepsy

toc

**Topic: - Epilepsy -** by Ching Long Wong 9.4

=**__About Epilepsy__**= Epilepsy is a general term used for a group of disorders that cause disturbances in electrical signaling in the brain. Epilepsy is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system. It is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures that were not caused by some known medical condition (esp. alcohol withdrawal, extremely low blood sugar).

Like an office building, the brain is a highly complex electrical system, powered by roughly 80 pulses of energy per second. These pulses move back and forth between nerve cells to produce thoughts, feelings, and memories. An epileptic seizure occurs when these energy pulses come much more rapidly— as many as 500 per second for a short time, due to an electrical abnormality in the brain. This brief electrical surge can happen in just a small part of the brain, or it can affect the whole brain. The surge of electrical energy can cause: - Changes in a person’s sensations or state of consciousness. - Uncontrolled movements of certain parts of the body or of the whole body.

Approximately six out of 1000 people have epilepsy. It currently affects 50 million people worldwide.

**Common Name**: Epilepsy **Scientific Name**: Epilepsy (Epilepsy is the only name for it, it is from the Ancient Greek word epilēpsía, it means “to seize”.)

=__ Types of Epilepsy __= Some of the most common types of Epilepsy are: - Absence Epilepsy - Temporal Lobe Epilepsy - Frontal Lobe Epilepsy - Occipital Lobe Epilepsy - Parietal Lobe Epilepsy

__Absence Epilepsy__ People with absence epilepsy have repeated absence seizures. Absence epilepsy tend to run in families. Seizures frequently begin in childhood or adolescence.

__Temporal Lobe Epilepsy__ Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most frequent case of partial seizures. Temporal lobe epilepsy beings in childhood. Repeated temporal lobe epilepsy seizures can damage the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for memory and learning.

__Frontal Lobe Epilepsy__ The frontal lobes of the brain lie behind the forehead, they are the largest of the five lobes of the brain. Frontal lobe epilepsy causes a cluster of short seizures that start and stop suddenly.

__Occipital Lobe Epilepsy__ The occipital lobe lies at the back of the skull. Occipital lobe epilepsy is like frontal and temporal lobe epilepsies, except that the seizures usually begin with visual hallucinations, rapid blinking, and other symptoms related to the eyes.

__Parietal Lobe Epilepsy__ Parietal lobe epilepsy is similar to other types, except that parietal lobe seizures tend to spread to other areas of the brain.

=**__What Causes Epilepsy?__**= Anything that disturbs the normal pattern of activity in the brain can trigger epilepsy. The cause can be illness, brain damage, or abnormal development of the brain. The reasons why epilepsy begins are different for people of different ages.

Some children may be born with a defect in the structure of their brain, or they may suffer a head injury or infection that causes their epilepsy. Severe head injury is the most common known cause in young adults. In middle age, strokes, tumors and injuries are more frequent. In people over 65, stroke is the most common known cause, followed by degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Epilepsy can strike anyone at any age. But, as the table below shows, some age groups are more susceptible than others. But because epilepsy has so many causes and can be linked to a number of other conditions, it is sometimes very difficult to determine the cause of a particular case. They include: - Brain chemistry - Hereditary causes - Head injury - Environmental causes - Other disorders
 * Age Groups || First seizures occurring-% ||
 * 0-9 || 47 ||
 * 10-19 || 30 ||
 * 20-29 || 13 ||
 * 30-39 || 6 ||
 * 40+ || 4 ||

__ Brain Chemistry __ Epilepsy may develop because of an imbalance in those chemicals in the brain that help the nerve cells in the brain transmit electrical impulses. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters.

__ Hereditary Causes __ Some types of epilepsy tend to run in families. And some have been traced to an abnormality in a specific gene.

__ Head Injuries __ Head injuries can cause seizures. If the head injury is severe, the seizures may not begin until years later. If the injury is mild, the risk is slight.

__ Environmental Causes __ Epilepsy can also be caused by environmental and occupational exposure to lead, carbon monoxide, and certain chemicals, use of street drugs and alcohol and lack of sleep, stress or hormonal changes.

__ Other Disorders/Causes __ Epilepsy can be triggered by brain damage caused by other disorders. Epilepsy can sometimes be stopped by treating these disorders. In other cases, epileptic seizures will continue after the disorder is treated. Whether the seizures can be stopped depends on the type of disorder, the part of the brain that is affected, and how much damage has been done. Disorders that may trigger epilepsy include: - Brain tumors, alcohol, and Alzheimer’s Disease can cause epilepsy because they alter the normal workings of the brain. - Stroke, heart attacks, and other conditions that affect the blood supply to the brain can cause epilepsy by dispossessing the oxygen of the brain. - Infectious diseases such as meningitis, AIDS can cause epilepsy. - Cerebral palsy, autism, and a number of other developmental and metabolic disorders can cause epilepsy.

__ What causes an Epileptic Seizure? __ Seizures can be sparked by a variety of stimuli, including: - Lights that flash at a certain speed - A sudden loud noise or repetitive sounds - Alcohol consumption - Cigarette smoking - Stress - Headache - Menstruation - Lack of sleep - During sleep

=**__Can Epilepsy Be Transmitted?__**= Epilepsy is a physical condition, it cannot be directly transmitted, but it can develop from diseases that can be transmitted such as AIDS, meningitis and viral encephalitis. It can also be genetically transmitted. But unless both parents have a strong family history of epilepsy, the chances that any of their children will inherit the tendency to have seizures are quite low (this is the least common of all epilepsy causes).

=__ **Symptoms of Epilepsy** __= Symptoms: - Sudden fainting/falling on the ground. - Face turning to one side. - Eye becoming glossy. - Clenching of fists. - Bending of neck to one side. - Foaming in the mouth - Feeling giddiness for a second - Seizures during menstrual period in women. media type="youtube" key="MRZY2a2jnuw" height="345" width="420"

=__ **How Long Does a Seizure Last?** __= Depending on the type of seizure, they can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. In rare cases, seizures can last many hours. For example, a tonic-clonic seizure typically lasts 1-7 minutes. Absence seizures may only last a few seconds, while complex partial seizures range from 30 seconds to 2-3 minutes. “Status Epilepticus” refers to seizures that can last for many hours, and this can be a serious medical condition. In most cases, however, seizures are fairly short and little first aid is required.

__ How Long Des Epilepsy Last? __ Epilepsy can last a few months, years or be life-long. It varies greatly depending on the underlying medical condition causing the seizures.

=__ **Can Epilepsy be Fatal?** __= Most people with epilepsy live a full life span. Nevertheless, the risk of premature death is increased for some, depending on several factors: - Sometimes epilepsy is a symptom of a more serious underlying condition such as a stroke or a tumor that carries an increased risk of death. - People who have major seizures may experience injuries during a seizure from falling or hurting their head that may occasionally be life-threatening. - Prolonged seizures (Status Epilepticus), can also be life-threatening. Status Epilepticus can sometimes occur when seizure medication use is stopped suddenly. - In some rare cases, people with epilepsy can experience sudden death. These events are not well understood, although they are suspected sometimes to be due to heart rhythm disturbances during a seizure.

=__ **How is Epilepsy Treated?** __= To begin the treatment, the first step is to ensure that the diagnosis of epilepsy is correct and to determine, if possible, the type of epilepsy whether there are any underlying conditions that also need treatment.

- Anti-epileptic drugs are the mainstay of treatment for most people. A doctor may recommend these drugs based on several patient factors such as the type of epilepsy, the frequency and severity of the seizures, age and related health conditions. For about two-thirds of people with epilepsy receiving this treatment, the drugs are successful in fully controlling seizures. - Surgery is a different type of treatment. Surgery is used to remove the “seizure focus” from a single area in the brain. This may be effective in stopping future seizures or making them much easier to control with medication.

__ How Do the Treatments Work? __ Some anti-epilepsy drug medications such as “Carbamazepine” and “Phenytoin” control seizures by blocking the channels that are used to transmit electrical impulses in the brain. Other anti-epilepsy drug medications such as “Topiramate” and “Tiagabine” are examples of medications that control seizures by increasing the action of a neurotransmitter in the brain. By increasing the chemicals, this will decrease the chance of experiencing the imbalance of these chemicals (as explained in “What causes Epilepsy”).

__ How Long Will a Patient Have to be Treated? __ Each person with epilepsy is different. Some children may outgrow their epilepsy and will no longer need medication. Others will require lifelong epilepsy medication in order to control their seizures.

=__Bibliography__=
 * 1) Slowik G. (June 18 2011). //What are the Different Kinds of Epilepsy.// Retrieved, 21 August 2011, from [].
 * 2) Wikipedia. (August 22 2011). //Topiramate.// Retrieved 21 August 2011, from [].
 * 3) Wikipedia. (August 21 2011). //Carbamazepine.// Retrieved 21 August 2011, from [].
 * 4) Barth, R. L. (n.d.). //Graphic Epileptic Seizure// [video]. Retrieved 21 August 2011, from [].
 * 5) EpiCentre. (n.d.). //What Causes Epilepsy.// Retrieved 21 August 2011, from [].
 * 6) CDC. (n.d.). //Epilepsy Frequently Asked Questions.// Retrieved 21 August 2011, from [].
 * 7) WebMD. (n.d.). //Treatment for Epilepsy.// Retrieved 22 August 2011, from [].
 * 8) Epilepsy Advocate. (n.d.). //Treatment.// Retrieved 22 August 2011, from [].
 * 9) Slowik G. (June 28 2011). //Can Epilepsy Be Prevented?//. Retrieved 22 August 2011, from [].