Seizure

An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain".

What is a Seizure?

Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. In the healthy brain, electrical and chemical signals are fired between nerves called neurons to drive the brain's ability to think, feel and send instructions to parts of the body, such as the muscles. Seizures occur when this electrical system in the brain malfunctions.

Epileptic Seizure Diagnosis

Epileptic Seizure Symptoms

Epileptic Seizure Management

Epileptic Seizure Causes

Latest Seizure News and Research

Precision targeting of the centromedian nucleus offers hope for people with drug-resistant epilepsy

It is estimated that one-third of the 50 million people worldwide with epilepsy are resistant to anti-seizure medications. These patients, having drug-resistant epilepsy, have limited treatment options beyond surgery to control their seizures.

16 Sep 2025

Prefrontal cortex biopsies during deep brain stimulation surgery do not increase risk of adverse events

Obtaining prefrontal cortex biopsies during deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in living patients does not increase the risk of adverse events or cognitive decline compared to standard DBS procedures that don't involve biopsies, a team of clinical research scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has demonstrated.

4 Sep 2025

New study reveals long road to seizure control for people with focal epilepsy

Antiseizure medications help the majority of people with focal epilepsy, a common form of the neurological disorder.

25 Aug 2025

Hyperactivity in reticular thalamic nucleus drives autism-like behaviors in mice

Stanford Medicine scientists investigating the neurological underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder have found that hyperactivity in a specific brain region could drive behaviors commonly associated with the disorder.

20 Aug 2025

Patients recall inadequate disclosure of electroconvulsive therapy risks

The medical pros of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are being exaggerated while the risks are being downplayed, suggest the findings of a survey on the type of information patients and their relatives/friends recall having been given before the procedure, and published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

17 Aug 2025

New subcutaneous EEG device offers breakthrough in epilepsy monitoring

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London in partnership with the Mayo Clinic and UNEEG medical, has found that an electronic device placed under the scalp is an effective and feasible means of accurately tracking epilepsy.

11 Aug 2025

New insights into how keto diet can restore cognitive function following status epilepticus

Epilepsy affects over 70 million people worldwide, and a significant portion of patients suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), where standard medications fail.

11 Aug 2025

Flooding linked to increased hospitalizations among older adults

New research examining 17 years of data from Medicare hospitalization claims and major flooding events finds increased rates of skin diseases, nervous system diseases, and injuries or poisonings among adults aged 65 and older following major floods.

31 Jul 2025

Myth of tongue swallowing delays life-saving CPR in collapsed athletes

Despite widespread public health efforts, the dangerous myth of "prevention of tongue swallowing" continues to persist during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

30 Jul 2025

Astrocytes play key role in coordinating neurons for visual information

Cells called astrocytes are about as abundant in the brain as neurons, but scientists have spent much less time figuring out how they contribute to brain functions.

22 Jul 2025

Gene editing in the brain offers hope for ultra-rare neurological disease

Scientists have corrected gene mutations in mice causing an ultra-rare disease by editing DNA directly in the brain with a single injection, a feat with profound implications for patients with neurological diseases.

21 Jul 2025

Taking specific antiseizure drugs during pregnancy linked to increased risk of malformations at birth

A new study that examined older and newer medications to treat seizures has found that using some medications during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects.

16 Jul 2025

Virginia Tech researchers explore creatine therapy for brain health

Creatine is popularly known as a muscle-building supplement, but its influence on human muscle function can be a matter of life or death.

9 Jul 2025

Study reveals top reasons schools call emergency medical services

The three most common reasons schools called emergency medical services (EMS) were for neurological crises such as seizures, psychiatric conditions or substance abuse, and trauma related injuries, according to data from the national EMS registry analyzed by researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

2 Jul 2025

Study links gestational hypertension to increased seizure risk in offspring

A new study led by researchers at University of Iowa Health Care has revealed a significant association between high blood pressure during pregnancy (gestational hypertension) and an increased risk of seizures in children.

16 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

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