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

Simple movement sends ripples of activity throughout the brain networks, study finds

Scientists detected simple movement like pushing a button sends ripples of activity throughout networks of neurons spanning across the brain.

24 Jan 2023

All-cause mortality risk higher among individuals with head injury

Adults who suffered any head injury during a 30-year study period had two times the rate of mortality than those who did not have any head injury, and mortality rates among those with moderate or severe head injuries were nearly three times higher, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, published today in JAMA Neurology.

23 Jan 2023

Speech neuroprostheses can decode speech based on brain activity

Researchers from HSE University and the Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry have developed a machine learning model that can predict the word about to be uttered by a subject based on their neural activity recorded with a small set of minimally invasive electrodes.

19 Jan 2023

Researchers identify a specific neural mechanism behind remembering emotional events

Most people remember emotional events, like their wedding day, very clearly, but researchers are not sure how the human brain prioritizes emotional events in memory.

19 Jan 2023

Researchers unveil new methods for DNA mosaic recognition

As humans, we each have trillions of cells. And each cell has a nucleus with individual genetic information –DNA – that can mutate to create an abnormality.

13 Jan 2023

New breakthrough in understanding the genetic causes of "malformations of cortical development"

Epilepsy is present in 4% of the population, and is among the most common brain disorders in children. Modern medicine can prevent most seizure recurrences, but approximately 20% of patients do not respond to treatment.

12 Jan 2023

Study describes a mechanism associated with the production of neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain caused by damage to the nervous system due mainly to metabolic diseases such as diabetes and arthritis, or to the side effects of some kinds of chemotherapy.

10 Jan 2023

Yale researchers identify neuronal basis of impaired consciousness in children with absence epilepsy

Imagine slipping in and out of consciousness hundreds of times per day, staying awake the whole time but having no sense of awareness during these lapses.

10 Jan 2023

Understanding the molecular basis of how THC cannabinoid inhibits an important human enzyme

In various European countries and North America, medical cannabis or medicines based on cannabinoids are authorized for therapeutic purposes.

9 Jan 2023

What is the long-term cognitive impact of COVID-19, and what are its predictors?

Scientists have described demographic and clinical predictors of cognitive dysfunction and self-perceived cognitive difficulties in COVID-19 survivors one-year after infection.

9 Jan 2023

SynGAP Research Fund awards $180,000 grant to the University of Edinburgh Medical School's Patrick Wild Centre & Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences

SynGAP Research Fund (SRF), a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to improve the quality of life for SYNGAP1 patients through the research and development of treatments, therapies and support systems, along with SynGAP Research Fund UK, today announced they have awarded a $180,000 grant to the University of Edinburgh Medical School's Patrick Wild Centre & Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences to advance the science around gene transfer to correct SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency.

5 Jan 2023

Voice and face recognition are more closely linked than previously thought

To recognize a famous voice, human brains use the same center that lights up when the speaker's face is presented, finds a clever neuroscience study where participants were asked to identify U.S. presidents.

3 Jan 2023

Deep learning tool identifies mosaic mutations that cause disease

Genetic mutations cause hundreds of unsolved and untreatable disorders. Among them, DNA mutations in a small percentage of cells, called mosaic mutations, are extremely difficult to detect because they exist in a tiny percentage of the cells.

2 Jan 2023

Newly discovered mechanism could explain memory impairment in epilepsy

People with chronic epilepsy often experience impaired memory. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now found a mechanism in mice that could explain these deficits.

19 Dec 2022

Study uncovers genetic cause of a novel developmental epilepsy syndrome

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) encompass highly prevalent conditions such as autism and epilepsy, with cognitive disabilities alone affecting 1-3% of the global population.

16 Dec 2022

Study: People with cluster headaches may be more likely to have other medical conditions

People with cluster headaches may be more than three times more likely to have other medical conditions such as heart disease, mental disorders and other neurologic diseases, according to a study published in the December 14, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Dec 2022

Flexible assemblies of nerve cells appear to be key to successful episodic memory

For the first time, scientists have recorded human nerve cells firing together in flexible assemblies, a process that appears necessary to successfully encode long-term memories, a study led by UT Southwestern researchers reports.

14 Dec 2022

Many genetic disorders respond well to specialized gene therapy

When the normal DNA sequence in an individual changes or mutates it can cause disease. The mutation may involve multiple genes and may be caused by environmental factors, or there may be chromosomal defects that are harmful at birth, in infancy or environment at a later stage.

12 Dec 2022

Severe COVID-19 causes aging-like changes in the human brain

Severe COVID-19 triggers aging-like changes in the brain's frontal cortex region that results in cognitive deficits.

11 Dec 2022

To attract in-home caregivers, California offers paid training — and self-care

One November afternoon, Chris Espedal asked a group of caregivers — all of whom work with people who have cognitive impairments, behavioral health issues, or complex physical needs — to describe what happens when their work becomes too much to bear.

9 Dec 2022