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 Epidemiology

Epilepsy Classification

Epilepsy in Children

Epilepsy Legal Implications

Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)

Catamenial Epilepsy Diagnosis and Treatment

Breath Analysis in Epilepsy Treatment Monitoring

Epilepsy Treatment

Catamenial Epilepsy

Epilepsy Seizure Types

Epilepsy Pathophysiology

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Epilepsy Syndromes

Can Stem Cells be Used to Treat Epilepsy?

Latest Epilepsy News and Research

Breakthrough study identifies potential treatment for schizophrenia symptoms

Difficulty completing everyday tasks. Failing memory. Unusually poor concentration.

27 Oct 2025

New mechanism behind potentially fatal type of epilepsy identified

A team led by the UAB Institut de Neurociències (INc-UAB) has for the first time identified the mechanism behind a potentially fatal type of epilepsy, a symptom of mitochondrial diseases.

27 Oct 2025

New insight into TRPM3 heat sensor reveals how the body detects temperature

The ability to sense heat protects the body from burns and injury. But how the body actually feels temperature has remained an elusive mystery.

24 Oct 2025

People with both cavities and gum disease may face higher ischemic stroke risk

People with both cavities and gum disease may face a higher risk of ischemic stroke, according to a study published on October 22, 2025, in Neurology Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Oct 2025

Study shows link between gum disease and white matter hyperintensities

Adults with gum disease may be more likely to have signs of damage to the brain's white matter, called white matter hyperintensities, than people without gum disease, according to a new study published on October 22, 2025, in Neurology Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Oct 2025

Scientists question the safety and efficacy of the diet for metabolic health

A study published in Science Advances by University of Utah Health researchers sheds light on the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet, raising important questions about its safety and efficacy for improving metabolic health.

22 Oct 2025

New study offers hope for patients with treatment-resistant focal epilepsy

About one-third of patients with focal epilepsy, a common form of the neurological disorder, are believed to respond poorly to available therapies.

21 Oct 2025

Tailored deep brain stimulation offers new hope for hard-to-treat epilepsy

Doctors and researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC have developed a new treatment for epilepsy patients who don't respond to medication and aren't candidates for surgery. Their approach, published today in Nature Communications, uses deep brain stimulation (DBS) that is tailored to each patient's unique brain wiring.

21 Oct 2025

Sleep-like brain waves persist in isolated cortex of epilepsy patients

Sleep-like slow-wave patterns persist for years in surgically disconnected neural tissue of awake epilepsy patients, according to a study published October 16th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Marcello Massimini from Universita degli Studi di Milano, Italy, and colleagues.

16 Oct 2025

New European trial tests subcutaneous EEG technology for people with epilepsy

A new clinical trial co-led by researchers at FutureNeuro and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is investigating how advanced brain monitoring could improve the diagnosis and management of epilepsy.

16 Oct 2025

Caraway seeds inspire new seizure-fighting medicines

A UNLV-led team of researchers has co-opted a common kitchen spice to create a new class of cannabidiol (CBD)-like medicines that show powerful seizure-reducing effects - offering a safer, more affordable, and more effective treatment for childhood seizure disorders than existing frontline therapies.

15 Oct 2025

Nemours neurologist wins major NIH award to study hippocampal dysfunction in brain disorders

Rodney Scott, MBChB, MRCP, DipStat, PhD, Division Chief of Neurology, Nemours Children's Health, Delaware Valley, has received a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Transformative Research Award.

15 Oct 2025

Voter health trends reveal strong backing for Reform UK

Poorer health is linked to a higher proportion of votes for the populist right wing political party, Reform UK, indicates an analysis of the 2024 general election voting patterns in England, published online in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

14 Oct 2025

WHO's new Global status report highlights the growing burden of neurological disorders

The World Health Organization (WHO) today warns that less than one in three countries around the world has a national policy to address the growing burden of neurological disorders, responsible for over 11 million deaths globally each year.

14 Oct 2025

New gene therapy reverses symptoms of SYNGAP1-related disorders in mice

In an exciting scientific first, researchers at the Allen Institute successfully designed a new gene therapy that reversed symptoms related to SYNGAP1-related disorders (SRD) in mice.

9 Oct 2025

University Of California researchers, patients wary of Trump cuts even as some dollars flow again

In August, an 80-year-old woman walked into the emergency room at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. She was lucid but experiencing a stroke.

9 Oct 2025

Common painkiller and antidepressant combo may increase seizure risk in older adults

When older adults living in nursing homes are prescribed the pain medicine tramadol alongside certain antidepressants, their risk of seizures may go up, according to a study published October 8, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Oct 2025