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Among complex neurological disorders epilepsy is the most common.
Epilepsy defined as chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent seizures.
Epilepsy seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in brain cells. The onset of epilepsy is most common during childhood, but it can also appear at any age. Seizures can affect any brain process. There are several types of epilepsy seizures:
- Partial seizures are seizures, which appear in just one part of the brain. Partial seizures can be defined as simple when it doesn’t result in loss of consciousness, or complex if patient consciousness is affected.
- Generalized seizures are those that involve all the brain. Sometimes, partial seizures may spread within the brain and cause secondary generalized seizures. Generalized seizures subdivided to Absence seizures, Myoclonic seizures, Atonic seizures or Tonic-clonic seizures, according to the body symptoms, but all the types of generalized seizures result in loss of consciousness.
Diagnosis of epilepsy composed of several test in addition to detailed seizures description. Presence of recurrent seizures is necessary for epilepsy diagnosis.
CT, MRI, PET, Magnetoencephalography and EEG screenings help to make diagnosis, useful to know about the type of epilepsy seizures and to study about affected brain region and epilepsy etiology.
In most cases the treatment of epilepsy consist of several anti-epileptic medication taken daily, some type of diet can be prescribed. It is not easy to find the optimal medication in right doses, which will stop the seizures. In some cases medication only reduces the frequency of epilepsy seizures.
In most difficult cases, when several types of anti-epileptic drugs didn’t stop the seizures, operation can be the only option to cure the epilepsy. Neurosurgeon can remove the cells from brain region which provide abnormal electrical activity. Surgery is performed only if there is one small well defined area that provokes the seizures. Benign tumor of the brain can cause epileptic seizures. Neurosurgical removal of tumor cells will stop the seizures. |