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Resources by Disability
Epilepsy
Definition: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes recurrent seizures. Approximately 3 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy.
Symptoms: People with epilepsy have epileptic seizures (or recurrent convulsions). The symptoms experienced during a seizure vary depending on which areas of the brain are affected. A person having a seizure may cry out, lose consciousness, fall to the ground and have muscle contractions (signs of a grand mal seizure), appear dazed (a complex partial seizure), or blink rapidly or stare off into space (a petit mal seizure). Many people with epilepsy have no symptoms between seizures.
Cause: Epilepsy is caused by a disturbance in the brain’s electrical activity. Faulty communication between the brain’s nerve cells causes excessive electrical discharge, which produces involuntary body movements known as seizures. This brain abnormality can result from congenital brain malformation, birth complications, head trauma, strokes, tumors, or degenerative conditions.
Diagnosis: To diagnose epilepsy, physicians study the patient's medical history, and perform physical and neurological exams, blood tests, EEG tests, MRIs, and CT scans. Epilepsy can develop at any age, but most people are diagnosed with the condition before age 2 and after age 65.
Treatment: There are a variety of treatment options for people with epilepsy. Depending on the severity and type, most seizures can be controlled by medications. Patients whose seizures do not respond to medications may undergo different types of surgical procedures. The most common are temporal lobectomy and cortical resection, whereby a seizure focus is identified and the affected lobe of the brain is removed. There are also devices that are implanted in the body to help regulate electrical stimulation to the brain. Lastly, the Ketogenic diet (a regiment that is high in fat and low in carbohydrate and protein) can help children with epilepsy.
Myth: Because it affects the brain, epilepsy is often thought to be a mental impairment. In truth, people with epilepsy generally have the same range of IQ, talents, and abilities as people without epilepsy.
Notable People with Epilepsy:
- Charles Dickens, a Victorian novelist.
- Harriet Tubman, a “Conductor” of the Underground Railroad and leader of the abolitionist movement.
Support Groups:
Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania
919 Walnut Street Suite 700
Philadelphia PA 19107
Tel: (215) 629-5003
Email: efsepa@efsepa.org
Website: www.efsepa.org
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