Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a group of disorders marked by problems in the normal functioning of the brain. These problems can produce seizures, unusual body movements, a loss of consciousness or changes in consciousness, as well as mental problems or problems with the senses.

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a condition that has been known to mankind since ancient times. It affects the brain to cause repeated convulsions or seizures - also called fits in common parlance. The word “epilepsy” comes from the Greek and means to be taken, seized or attacked.

Epilepsy Classification

Epilepsy Epidemiology

Epilepsy Pathophysiology

Epilepsy Seizure Types

Epilepsy Syndromes

Epilepsy Treatment

Epilepsy Legal Implications

Epilepsy in Children

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)

Catamenial Epilepsy

Catamenial Epilepsy Diagnosis and Treatment

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Can Stem Cells be Used to Treat Epilepsy?

Breath Analysis in Epilepsy Treatment Monitoring

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

Rutgers study challenges FDA warning on antiseizure drug

Rutgers Health researchers found that lamotrigine, a widely prescribed antiseizure medication, to be safe in older adults with epilepsy, contrary to a safety warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Jun 2025

Healthy lifestyle habits may shield aging cells from brain disorders

Stroke and dementia as well as late-life depression are more common in people who have a biomarker of aging called short leukocyte telomere length, according to a study published on June 11, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Jun 2025

Brain interface restores real-time speech for man with ALS

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed an investigational brain-computer interface that holds promise for restoring the voices of people who have lost the ability to speak due to neurological conditions.

11 Jun 2025

Brain-computer interfaces signal a new era in neurosurgery and neurorehabilitation

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is opening an unprecedented chapter in human-machine integration by establishing direct communication between the brain and external devices.

10 Jun 2025

Personalized exercise and coaching could improve health of people with neuromuscular diseases

While many people with neuromuscular diseases currently face a future without a cure, a new study finds that a personalized exercise and coaching program could improve their fitness and overall health.

4 Jun 2025

Back-to-basics, 'not fad' diets beat heart disease and diabetes

This review examines dietary interventions that can improve cardiometabolic health, highlighting the role of whole foods in reducing heart disease and diabetes.

4 Jun 2025

New molecular mechanism offers hope for causal epilepsy treatments

Epilepsy is primarily treated symptomatically - that is, the majority of the available medications aim to suppress seizures without influencing the underlying causes of the disease.

4 Jun 2025

Epileptic seizures more common in frontotemporal dementia patients than previously known

According to a recent study, in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), epileptic seizures are significantly more common than previously known.

2 Jun 2025

Longer time in bed after stroke linked to poorer brain health

After a mild stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), people who spend more time in bed sleeping or trying to sleep may be more likely to have lower scores on tests of thinking and memory skills and changes in their brains that can lead to dementia or second strokes, according to a study published on May 28, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 May 2025

Blood cell-free RNA signatures can predict preterm birth months in advance

Children born before 37 weeks of gestation have a considerably increased risk of dying before they reach the age of five.

25 May 2025

Study assures safety of triptan use during pregnancy for migraine sufferers

There's good news for people with migraine who take common drugs before or during pregnancy-a new study found no increase in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD in their children.

22 May 2025

Insulin resistance in the brain may link Alzheimer’s and epilepsy

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have succeeded in showing, in an animal model, that the process of insulin resistance in the brain affects both Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy and may be a linking factor between the two diseases.

22 May 2025

New strategy improves screening rates for anxiety and depression among epilepsy patients

A new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine shows an improvement in screening rates for anxiety and depression among epilepsy patients with the implementation of an electronic health record (EHR)-based strategy.

21 May 2025

Mount Sinai researchers explore new depression treatment targeting brain’s potassium channels

A mechanism involving potassium channels in the brain that control brain cell activity could provide a new and fundamentally different way of treating depression symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder, according to two complementary papers published recently by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

21 May 2025

New short film sheds light on the impact of climate change on brain health

A powerful new short film, from the FutureNeuro Research Ireland Centre and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences sheds light on the urgent need to address the impact of climate change on brain health.

19 May 2025

Multiple senses stimulate a critical brain region linked to consciousness

Humans perceive and navigate the world around us with the help of our five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.

15 May 2025

AAN releases Evidence in Focus Article on new gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

To help neurologists, clinicians and families understand the current evidence for a new gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy called delandistrogene moxeparvovec, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has issued an Evidence in Focus article, published May 14, 2025, online in Neurology.

14 May 2025

Mini-stroke patients may experience fatigue for up to a year

A transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke, is typically defined as a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that causes symptoms that go away within a day, but a new study finds that people who have this type of stroke may also have prolonged fatigue lasting up to one year.

14 May 2025

Large language models help predict epileptogenic zones for surgery

Epilepsy, one of the most common neurological disorders characterized by recurrent seizures, affects over 70 million people worldwide.

12 May 2025

Australia faces critical medicine shortages amid global supply challenges

About 400 medicines are in short supply in Australia. Of these, about 30 are categorized as critical. These are ones with a life-threatening or serious impact on patients, and with no readily available substitutes.

12 May 2025