What is epilepsy? Epilepsy is sometimes described as an “electrical storm” in the brain. Epilepsy is sometimes also referred to as a seizure disorder. Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has recurrent seizures under normal environmental conditions. There are many kinds of seizures and many types of epilepsy. The epilepsies are non-communicable diseases of the brain. Seizures are the symptom of the disease. A seizure is a change in sensation, awareness, behavior brought about by abnormal electrical discharges in brain cells (neurons) in the brain. Normally, neurons carrying electrical impulses form a network allowing communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Neurons fire electrical impulses toward surrounding cells, stimulating neighboring cells to fire. In people with epilepsy, too many neurons fire at one time, causing what might be described as an electrical storm within the brain. Doctors are often asked why some people have seizures and others do not. Given the complicated, dynamic human brain - capable of thought, music, art and science - its remarkable that the circuits do not misfire more frequently. The brains complex inhibition prevents most seizures while allowing normal function. However, any disease that affects the central nervous system circuits including brain damage before or at birth, brain trauma, tumors, strokes, infections, metabolic disorders, or genetic defects are known causes for seizure. Epilepsy is further categorized into epilepsy syndromes, which are characterized by ages of onset, specific causes (trauma, tumor, infection, stroke, genetics, etc) and often specific localizations of the seizure discharge within the brain. Click on the following links for more information:
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 08:08:25 +0000
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