Specialized Epilepsy Treatment & Care

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is also known as a seizure disorder. It is a neurological condition that affects the nervous system, and is usually diagnosed after a person has had multiple seizures that were not a product of an existing medical condition.

There are several types of epileptic seizures including Generalized or Grand Mal seizures in which all areas of the brain are involved, Partial or Focal seizures where only one part of the brain is involved, or Absence seizures, which are most common in children. Absence seizures can often go undetected because they only last a few seconds.

Seizure signs and symptoms can present in many different ways, and do not always indicate epilepsy. An Electroencephalogram is the most common way to test for epilepsy, and does so by measuring electrical impulses in the brain. If you are in fact diagnosed, epilepsy is in most cases effectively treated with medication.

Causes of Epilepsy

Some potential factors that could have led to the patient becoming epileptic can include the following:

  • Genetics
  • Head Trauma (ex. car accident)
  • Brain Conditions
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Prenatal Injury
  • Developmental Disorders (ex. autism

Diagnosing Epilepsy

Electroencephalography

An electroencephalogram is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy. The EEG detects abnormalities in the brain waves or electrical activity of the brain. Electrodes attached to your scalp detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity of the brain cells. Your brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active at all times. The charges are amplified and appear as a graph on a computer screen or as a recording that may be printed out on paper for your doctor to interpret. When epilepsy is present, seizure activity will appear as rapid spiking waves on the EEG. The test can also be used to diagnose other disorders that influence brain activity.