What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in
which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in
the brain sometimes signal abnormally. In
epilepsy, the normal pattern of neuronal
activity becomes disturbed, causing strange
sensations, emotions, and behavior or sometimes
convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of
consciousness. Epilepsy is a disorder with many
possible causes. Anything that disturbs the
normal pattern of neuron activity - from illness
to brain damage to abnormal brain development -
can lead to seizures. Epilepsy may develop
because of an abnormality in brain wiring, an
imbalance of nerve signaling chemicals called
neurotransmitters, or some combination of these
factors. Having a seizure does not necessarily
mean that a person has epilepsy. Only when a
person has had two or more seizures is he or she
considered to have epilepsy. EEGs and brain
scans are common diagnostic test for epilepsy.
Is there any treatment?
Once epilepsy is diagnosed,
it is important to begin treatment as soon
as possible. For about 80 percent of those
diagnosed with epilepsy, seizures can be
controlled with modern medicines and
surgical techniques. Some antiepiletic drugs
can interfere with the effectiveness of oral
contraceptives. In 1997, the FDA approved
the vagus nerve stimulator for use in people
with seizures that are not well-controlled
by medication.
What is the prognosis?
Most people with epilepsy
lead outwardly normal lives. While epilepsy
cannot currently be cured, for some people
it does eventually go away. Most seizures do
not cause brain damage. It is not uncommon
for people with epilepsy, especially
children, to develop behavioral and
emotional problems, sometimes the
consequence of embarrassment and frustration
or bullying, teasing, or avoidance in school
and other social setting. For many people
with epilepsy, the risk of seizures
restricts their independence (some states
refuse drivers licenses to people with
epilepsy) and recreational activities.
People with epilepsy are at special risk for
two life-threatening conditions: status
epilepticus and sudden unexplained death.
Most women with epilepsy can become
pregnant, but they should discuss their
epilepsy and the medications they are taking
with their doctors. Women with epilepsy have
a 90 percent or better chance of having a
normal, healthy baby.
What research is being
done?
Scientists are studying
potential antiepileptic drugs with goal of
enhancing treatment for epilepsy. Scientists
continue to study how neurotransmitters
interact with brain cells to control nerve
firing and how non-neuronal cells in the
brain contribute to seizures. One of the
most-studied neurotransmitters is GABA, or
gamma-aminobutryic acid. Researchers are
working to identify genes that may influence
epilepsy. This information may allow doctors
to prevent epilepsy or to predict which
treatments will be most beneficial. Doctors
are now experimenting with several new types
of therapies for epilepsy, including
transplanting fetal pig neurons into the
brains of patients to learn whether cell
transplants can help control seizures,
transplanting stem cells, and using a device
that could predict seizures up to 3 minutes
before they begin. Researchers are
continually improving MRI and other brain
scans. Studies have show that in some case,
children may experience fewer seizures if
they maintain a strict diet - called the
ketogenic diet - rich in fats and low in
carbohydrates.
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