Epilepsy By: Sam Brandt

Class: Psychology

What Causes Epilepsy?

A central nervous system disorder, where nerve cell activity in the brain becomes disrupted. This causes seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations and in some cases loss of consciousness.

https://youtu.be/6NcqQkKjqTI

Types of Seizures

Focal seizures (Partial Seizures)

Simple partial epileptic- are confined to a small part of the brain, individuals have a general awareness of there surroundings. Symptoms could be a sudden jerk of the hand or arm.

Complex partial epileptic- Individuals are impaired of their surroundings. Mostly involves the temporal lobe. Some symptoms could be a glassy stare or unusual vocal sounds.

https://youtu.be/2RLlcrMc2f0

Generalized seizures

Start on both sides of the brain.

Absence seizures- mostly brief with starring spells, are short, patients maybe considered to be in confusion or considered to be out of it. Most common in children.

Generalized Tonic-Clonic seizures- are the most serious out of any seizure. Usually involve stiffness of the body, rhythmic jerking, and total body convulsing. When the seizure is over you may feel sleepy.

Generalized seizures

Myoclonic seizures- happen when the body or body parts instantaneous jerk. Young children with infantile spasms have clusters of myoclonic jerks that tend to occur when they awaken.

Atonic seizures or drop attacks – cause you to drop to the ground. This can happen from tonic (stiffening) or atonic (sudden loss of tone).

https://youtu.be/jrYVudPCY0g

Is Epilepsy the cause of seizures? Patients are treated with antiepileptic

drugs at sometime before they are diagnosed with Epilepsy. Epileptic seizures can cause greater harm than non-epileptic when doctors are uncertain of the diagnosis to treat for they will treat for a more serious illness. If the drugs work and stop the seizure, then most likely it is a epileptic seizure.

Testing methods for seizures

EEG- monitors electrical activity

in brain.

MRI- Imaging of the brain.

Other methods include

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

Also blood test are done to make sure red and white blood cells are at the normal count.

Treatments Most seizures are treated through anti-

epileptic drugs (AEDs).

By using this medicine up to 70% of people can have their seizures stopped

If medicine does not work they can sometimes remove part of the brain.

In 1912 phenobarbitone was the first AED used to treat Epilepsy.

History of Epilepsy

Dates all the way back to the (400 BC)

During (400 BC) ancient Greek Hippocrates the father of medicine, used diet and medicine to treat Epilepsy based on his own theories.

In Europe during the middle ages people called Epilepsy the “Falling Sickness”

In 1920 America and Nazi Germany there was an operation to stop people with Epilepsy from having children.

Facts Greek Philosopher Hippocrates was the first to

think Epilepsy starts in the brain.

Today there are over 40 different types of seizures

1 IN 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime.

OVER 2 MILLION: Number of people in the U.S.A who have epilepsy.

6 OUT OF 10: Number of people with epilepsy where the cause is unknown.

Hippocrates

People Who have had Epilepsy

Julius Caesar (Roman Emperor)

Danny Glover (Actor)

Vincent Van Gogh (Artist)

Dean Ryan (Rugby Player)

My walk with Epilepsy

Ketogenic diet- consist of high fatty foods and low carbohydrates. Stricter than the Adkins diet requiring exact measurement or the diet will not work

Steroid Therapy- high risk and you can not maintain on it for long periods of time.

Want to know more?

http://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk

http://www.epilepsy.com

http://www.thebarrow.org/index.htm

http://www.mayo.edu/research/discoverys-edge/when-where-seizures-predicting-unpredictable

Sources http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_condi

tions/hic_Epilepsy_Frequently_Asked_Questions

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/home/ovc-20117206

http://www.thebarrow.org/Neurological_Services/Epilepsy/204351

https://www.youtube.com

http://wyomingepilepsy.org/about-epilepsy/history.html

http://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/epilepsy-did-you-know#.VXTo5WBN3zI

http://doosesyndrome.org/treating-mae/steroid-therapy

The End