Seizure (cont.)
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve
cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. Neurons normally
generate electrochemical impulses that act on other neurons, glands, and muscles
to produce human thoughts, feelings, and actions. 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. During a
seizure, neurons may fire as many as 500 times a second, much faster than
normal. In some people, this happens only occasionally; for others, it may
happen up to hundreds of times a day.
More than 2 million people in the United States -- about
1 in 100 -- have experienced an unprovoked seizure or been diagnosed with
epilepsy. For about 80 percent of those diagnosed with epilepsy, seizures can be
controlled with modern medicines and surgical techniques. However, about 25 to
30 percent of people with epilepsy will continue to experience seizures even
with the best available treatment. Doctors call this situation intractable
epilepsy. 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.
Epilepsy is not contagious and is not caused by mental illness or mental
retardation. Some people with mental retardation may experience seizures, but
seizures do not necessarily mean the person has or will develop mental
impairment. Many people with epilepsy have normal or above-average intelligence.
Famous people who are known or rumored to have had epilepsy include the Russian
writer Dostoyevsky, the philosopher Socrates, the military general Napoleon, and
the inventor of dynamite, Alfred Nobel, who established the Nobel Prize. Several
Olympic medalists and other athletes also have had epilepsy. Seizures sometimes
do cause brain damage, particularly if they are severe. However, most seizures
do not seem to have a detrimental effect on the brain. Any changes that do occur
are usually subtle, and it is often unclear whether these changes are caused by
the seizures themselves or by the underlying problem that caused the seizures.
While epilepsy cannot currently be cured, for some people it does eventually
go away. One study found that children with idiopathic epilepsy, or
epilepsy with an unknown cause, had a 68 to 92 percent chance of becoming
seizure-free by 20 years after their diagnosis. The odds of becoming
seizure-free are not as good for adults or for children with severe epilepsy
syndromes, but it is nonetheless possible that seizures may decrease or even
stop over time. This is more likely if the epilepsy has been well-controlled by
medication or if the person has had epilepsy surgery.
Next: What Causes Epilepsy? »
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