Epilepsy Essay -- Neurology Disorders Seizures Papers

Epilepsy Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizures which are unprovoked by any immediately identifiable cause (Hopkins & Shorvon, 1995). It is also known as a seizure disorder. A wide range of links and risk factors are associated with the condition, but most of the time the cause is unknown. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting approximately two and half million people in the US and about 50 million worldwide. Though seizures can occur at any age, epilepsy is most commonly seen in children and the elderly. Most respond well to treatment and can control their seizures, but for some it is a chronic illness. A clinical diagnosis is the first step to finding a potential cure for the disorder. The diagnosis of epilepsy is usually made after the patient experiences a second unprovoked seizure (Leppik, 2002). Diagnosis is often difficult, however, since it is unlikely that the physician will actually see the patient experience and epileptic seizure, and therefore must rely heavily on patient’s history. An electroencephalography (EEG) is often used to examine the patient’s brain waves, and some forms of epilepsy can be revealed by a characteristic disturbance in electrical frequency (Bassick, 1993). The variations in frequency can take form as spikes or sharp waves (Fisher, 1995). The variations are divided into two groups, ictal electrograph abnormalities, which are disturbances resulting from seizure activity, and interictal electrograph abnormalities, or disturbances between seizures. The EEG can also give clues as to which region of the brain the disturbances arise from. Interictal temporal spikes will predict the side of seizure origin in 95% of patients if three times as ... ...sy (pp. 201-211). New York, Plenum Press. McIntosh, G. (1992). Neurological Conceptualizations of Epilepsy. In T. Bennett (Ed.), The Neuropsychology of Epilepsy (pp. 17-37). New York, Plenum Press. Shorvon, S. (1995). Drug Treatment of Epilepsy. In A. Hopkins, S. Shorvon, & G. Cascino (Eds.), Epilepsy (pp. 171-213). London, Chapman and Hall Medical. Thompson, P. (1991). Memory Function in Patients with Epilepsy. In D. Smith, D. Treiman, & M. Trimble (Eds.), Neurobehavioral Problems in Epilepsy (pp. 369-383). New York, Raven Press. Upton, A. (2002). Vagal Stimulation for Intractable Seizures. In W. Burnham, P. Carlin, & P. Hwang (Eds.), Intractable Seizures (pp. 233-239). New York, Kluwer Academic. Vining, E. (2002). The Ketogenic Diet. In W. Burnham, P. Carlin, & P. Hwang (Eds.), Intractable Seizures (pp. 225-231). New York, Kluwer Academic.