Epilepsy

Epilepsy

    * Introduction
    * Partial seizures
    * Generalized Seizures
    * Seizures (comitiale) unclassified
    * Epileptic syndromes of idiopathic (primary)
    * Symptomatic epileptic syndromes (secondary)
    * The causes of epilepsy and seizures
    * Diagnosis of patients with seizure
    * Treatment of epileptic seizures
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the nervous system that is manifested by recurrent seizures (which repeats) due to a chronic underlying process (small lesions in the brain - epileptic foci).
The diagnosis of epilepsy is established after at least two seizures (also called comitiale).
A single seizure episode can not diagnose epilepsy.
Children may suffer one or more episodes of seizures, usually associated with high fever (febrile convulsions). In addition, it is estimated that one in 10 people suffer such a crisis in their lives.

 
Seizures occur when brain cells do not normally communicate through electrical impulses. During the crisis, some cells in the chaotic impulses download, preventing other cells to function properly. These irregularities can temporarily change the way in which the patient perceives the stimulus, behavior, movements and his state of consciousness.

 
Seizures are most common during childhood and after 65 years, but the disease can occur at any age. Treatments can remove or reduce the frequency of crises and their intensity. Many children with epilepsy beyond disease over time.
Seizures are caused by excessive discharge hipersincrone a group of neurons in the central nervous system causing a number of activities ranging from minimum to phenomena severe convulsions. Approximately 5-10% of the population will have at least one episode in life, with highest incidence in childhood or old age.

 
Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures caused by a chronic underlying process. It affects 0,3-0,5%.

 
Classification of Epileptic Seizures (COMITIALE)

 
Partial seizures: - Simple partial seizures - Complex partial seizures - Partial seizures with secondary generalization

 
Generalized Seizures: - Absence or petit mall seizures - Atypical absences - Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mall) - Atonic seizures - Myoclonic seizures

 
Unclassified seizures: - Neonatal Seizures - Infantile spasms

 
Epileptic syndromes

 
Idiopathic epileptic syndromes (primary) - Benign neonatal convulsions - Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy - Benign epilepsy of children with peaks centrotemporale

 
Symptomatic epileptic syndromes (secondary): - Lennox-Gastaut syndrome - Medial temporal lobe epilepsy syndrome