Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 159 views

    Research Paper About Epilepsy

    Uploaded by

    Hazel Anne Joyce Antonio
    Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that result from disturbed electrical activity in the brain. Seizures occur when groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out abnormal burst of electrical activity. The causes of epilepsy vary depending on age but are often unknown, and can include head injuries, genetic factors, infections, tumors, or developmental problems. Common symptoms of seizures include weakness, anxiety, staring, repetitive movements, loss of consciousness, and muscle contractions. Treatment may involve anti-seizure medications or surgery to remove the part of the brain causing seizures. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding triggers and ensuring proper sleep and diet can also help manage epilepsy.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Research Paper About Epilepsy

    Uploaded by

    Hazel Anne Joyce Antonio
    159 views4 pages
    Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that result from disturbed electrical activity in the brain. Seizures occur when groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out abnormal burst of electrical activity. The causes of epilepsy vary depending on age but are often unknown, and can include head injuries, genetic factors, infections, tumors, or developmental problems. Common symptoms of seizures include weakness, anxiety, staring, repetitive movements, loss of consciousness, and muscle contractions. Treatment may involve anti-seizure medications or surgery to remove the part of the brain causing seizures. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding triggers and ensuring proper sleep and diet can also help manage epilepsy.

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that result from disturbed electrical activity in the brain. Seizures occur when groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out abnormal burst of electrical activity. The causes of epilepsy vary depending on age but are often unknown, and can include head injuries, genetic factors, infections, tumors, or developmental problems. Common symptoms of seizures include weakness, anxiety, staring, repetitive movements, loss of consciousness, and muscle contractions. Treatment may involve anti-seizure medications or surgery to remove the part of the brain causing seizures. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding triggers and ensuring proper sleep and diet can also help manage epilepsy.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    159 views4 pages

    Research Paper About Epilepsy

    Uploaded by

    Hazel Anne Joyce Antonio
    Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that result from disturbed electrical activity in the brain. Seizures occur when groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out abnormal burst of electrical activity. The causes of epilepsy vary depending on age but are often unknown, and can include head injuries, genetic factors, infections, tumors, or developmental problems. Common symptoms of seizures include weakness, anxiety, staring, repetitive movements, loss of consciousness, and muscle contractions. Treatment may involve anti-seizure medications or surgery to remove the part of the brain causing seizures. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding triggers and ensuring proper sleep and diet can also help manage epilepsy.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 4

    RESEARCH PAPER ABOUT EPILEPSY

    WHAT IS EPILEPSY?
    Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures, and by the neurobiological, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this condition. The definition of epilepsy requires the occurrence of at least one epileptic seizure. Therefore, a seizure is the event and epilepsy is the disorder. By definition, one seizure does not make epilepsy, nor does a small series of seizures that have an immediate precipitating factor, for example, alcohol withdrawal seizures. The seizures must be spontaneous and recurrent to represent epilepsy. Seizures result from an electrochemical disorder in the brain. Brain cells use chemical reactions to produce electrical discharges. Each brain cell either excites or inhibits other brain cells with its discharges. When the balance of excitation and inhibition in a region of brain is moved too far in the direction of excitation, then a seizure can result. The type of seizure depends upon several factors. One of the most important factors is where in the brain the abnormal electrical discharge occurs.

    WHAT CAUSES EPILEPSY?


    The reasons why epilepsy begins are different for people of different ages. But what's true for every age is that the cause is unknown for about half of everyone with epilepsy. 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, tumours, 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. Often seizures do not begin immediately after a person has an injury to the brain. Instead, a seizure may happen many months later. We do not have a good explanation for this common observation, but scientists are actively researching this subject. Common causes of epilepsy include: Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) Dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease Traumatic brain injury Infections, including brain abscess, meningitis, encephalitis, and AIDS Brain problems that are present at birth (congenital brain defect) Brain injury that occurs during or near birth

    Metabolism disorders present at birth (such as phenylketonuria) Brain tumour Abnormal blood vessels in the brain Other illness that damage or destroy brain tissue Use of certain medications, including antidepressants, tramadol, cocaine, and amphetamines

    WHAT ARE THE COMMON SYMPTOMS?


    These are the most common symptoms experienced either before, or during, a seizure. Your symptoms will depend upon the type of seizures you are having, so you might not experience all of these symptoms: Weakness Weakness can occur in any seizure type and in any area of the body. For instance, weakness can either occur in an arm, a leg or both. Anxiety Anxiety is usually experienced in most seizure types and can signal a seizure is about to occur. In some types of seizures, anxiety, or an impending sense of doom, can be an aura or a consistent symptom in a person right before they have a seizure. Staring Staring out into space is a symptom experienced by individuals who have absence seizures. Usually, these individuals appear to be briefly daydreaming when, in fact, they are actually experiencing a seizure. This usually only lasts for a few seconds and may be accompanied by blinking or repetitive movements, such as movement of the mouth or fingers. Purposeless or Repetitive Movements This can include actions such as picking lint off of a shirt, repetitive shifting, and repetitive tapping of the fingers, repetitive chewing or repeating words. These movements can occur before a seizure occurs or during some seizures. Loss of Consciousness Some seizures may cause a loss of consciousness, which may last for a few seconds to hours. Contraction, or Jerking, of Body Muscles Usually when you think of seizures, the characteristic thought is that of every muscle contracting in the body. This is referred to as a grand mal seizure. However, involuntary muscle contractions can also occur in isolated areas of the body. For instance, muscle contractions in an arm may cause an object to crash to the ground. Muscle contractions in the legs may cause someone to drop to the ground, causing further injuries.

    WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE TREATMENTS FOR EPILEPSY?


    Treatment for epilepsy may involve surgery or medication. If epilepsy seizures are due to a tumour, abnormal blood vessels, or bleeding in the brain, surgery to treat these disorders may make the seizures stop. 1. Medication to prevent seizures, called anticonvulsants, may reduce the number of future seizures. These drugs are taken by mouth. Which type you are prescribed depends on the type of seizures you have. Your dosage may need to be changed from time to time. You may need regular blood tests to check for side effects. Always take your medication on time and as directed. Missing a dose can cause you to have a seizure. Never stop taking or change medications without talking to your doctor first. Many epilepsy medications cause birth defects. Women wishing to become pregnant should tell the doctor in advance in order to adjust medications. Surgery to remove the abnormal brain cells causing the seizures may be helpful for some patients. 2. Surgery to place a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) may be recommended. This device is similar to a heart pacemaker. It can help reduce the number of seizures. Sometimes, children are placed on a special diet to help prevent seizures. The most popular one is the ketogenic diet. A diet low in carbohydrates, such as the Atkins diet, may also be helpful in some adults. Lifestyle or medical changes can increase the risk for a seizure in a person with epilepsy.

    HOW CAN EPILEPSY BE PREVENTED?


    Generally, there is no known way to prevent epilepsy. However, proper diet and sleep, and staying away from illegal drugs and alcohol, may decrease the likelihood of triggering seizures in people with epilepsy. Reduce the risk of head injury by wearing helmets during risky activities; this can help lessen the chance of developing epilepsy. Persons with uncontrolled seizures should not drive. Each state has a different law that determines which people with a history of seizures are allowed to drive. If you have uncontrolled seizures, you should also avoid activities where loss of awareness would cause great danger, such as climbing to high places, biking, and swimming alone.

    REFERRENCES:
    Epilepsy. Retrieved February 16, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.com Overview of Epilepsy (1997).from http://www.epilepsy.com/pdfs/Epilepsy-Handout.pdf Reza Shouri, MD(2008).Retrieved August 11, 2008, from
    http://epilepsy.about.com/od/symptomsandcauses/a/symptoms.htm

    You might also like