Transcript Epilepsy Slideshow

Epilepsy
(nervous system)
What is Epilepsy?
When a person suffers two or more seizures,
their condition is called epilepsy. There are
many different types of epilepsy, and these
include:
-Lennox Gastaut
-Mitochondrial Disorders
-Temporal Lobe
-Landau-Kleffner
-Frontal Lobe
-Rasmussen's
A Brief History of Epilepsy
As early as 400BC, epilepsy has been recognized and written
about; by Hippocrates, and in the Bible. In 1494 epilepsy was believed to
be a sign of a witch, a notion that of course, was disregarded only
decades later.
Between the late 1850s and early 1900s, three English neurologists
recognized seizures as “an occasional, an excessive, and a disorderly
discharge of nerve tissue on muscles.” Over the next sixty years, more
was learned about epilepsy, its causes and effects on a person.
In 1968 the Epilepsy Foundation of America is founded to help
people with epilepsy, and many more organizations have followed.
Epilepsy research continues.
What Are the Symptoms of
Epilepsy?
The defining symptom of epilepsy is
recurrance seizures. Therefore, it is
more appropriate to describe the
symptoms of a seizure.
There are three stages to a typical seizure,
so we will go through each one. First, we will
need to know just what a seizure is.
What, exactly, is a seizure?
A seizure is defined as a sudden surge of electrical
activity in the brain that usually affects how a person
feels or acts for a short time. There are three distinct
stages to a seizure. Pre-ictal, Ictal, and Post-ictal. Ictal
is the Latin word for seizure.
Pre-Ictal
The pre-ictal stage of a seizure is the stage just before the
actual seizure occurs, and usually warns the person that a
seizure is about to occur.
Symptoms may include:
Deja Vu
● Visual loss/ blurring
● Fear/ Panic
● Dizziness
● Headache
●
Nausea
● Numbness
● Tingling Feeling
● Racing thoughts
● Sometimes no warning
●
Ictal
The ictal period is the time during the seizure.
Symptoms may include:
Black out
● Confusion
● Deafness
● Visual loss/ blurring
● Fear/ Panic
●
Chewing movements
● Difficulty Talking
● Foot stomps
● Tremors
● Difficulty breathing
●
Post-Ictal
The post-ictal stage of a seizure is the period of
time directly after the seizure.
Symptoms may include:
Memory Loss
● Writing difficulty
● Confusion
● Depression
● Bruising
●
Exhaustion
● Headache
● Thirst
● Pain
● Difficulty Talking
●
How do seizures affect the body?
Not only will epilepsy affect the brain and nervous system,
it usually also affects other systems of the body.
Nervous System- seizures will affect sensory perception,
causing blurred vision, odd smells, tastes, and sensations.
Reproductive System- epilepsy can affect sexual libido,
pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, and may indirectly cause
a low sperm count in men.
Integumentary System- a seizure can indirectly affect the
Integumentary system. Convulsions and thrashing due
to an uncontrolled seizure will more than likely cause
bruising, and even lacerations.
What Causes Epilepsy?
In over half of all epilepsy cases, the cause is
unknown. A short list of instances which may cause a
seizure or lead a person to epilepsy includes:
Head injury
● Brain infection
● Brain tumors
● Brain surgery
● Stroke
● Alzheimer's
●
Arteriosclerosis
● Alcohol Abuse
● Drug Abuse
● Trauma during birth
● High fever (in children)
● Certain medications
●
What are some treatment
options for epilepsy?
Although seizure medications are the
most common and apparent choice for
treatment of epilepsy, there are other
options.
Seizure Medication
(treatment)
There are many different types of
medication, and each one works better
for a different type of epilepsy, or seizure.
The doctor will choose one based on the
patient's type of seizure, age, and other
medical conditions. These medications
usually attempt to prevent seizures, not
lessen the effects or intensity of them.
The Ketogenic Diet
(treatment)
The Ketogenic Diet is prescribed by a doctor and
monitored by a dietitian. It is designed to help control
seizures by producing ketones in the body, hence its
name. Ketones are formed when the body uses fat
for energy (as opposed to carbohydrates). The
Ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet, not much
unlike the Atkins diet.
Surgery
(treatment)
Epilepsy surgery can be especially beneficial to
those who have structural abnormalities of the brain,
taking a physical approach rather than chemical.
Benefits of surgery should we be weighed carefully
against its risks, because there is no guarantee that
it will control seizures.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
(treatment)
Vagus Nerve Stimulation prevents
seizures by sending a regular, mild pulses
of electrical energy to the brain, via the
vagus nerve.
A VNS device is used, which
is much like a pacemaker.
If epilepsy goes untreated
There are many risks to leaving epilepsy
untreated, seizures may worsen and occur more
often, SUDEP is a larger risk, and other body
systems might worsen due to stress from recurring
seizures and their side effects.
However, if epilepsy is treated and under
control, any person with epilepsy can lead a normal
life, with attention paid to some hazards, of course.
Fortunately, with all of the treatment options
available, epilepsy is rarely a debilitating disease.
Extra information
-Many drugs, especially cocaine, may cause seizures and can give brain
damage leading to chronic epilepsy. Other drugs that cause it are Amphetamines
and LSD.
-Also some therapeutic drugs such as penicillin, theophylline
(again, used for asthmatics), certain antidepressants
and antipsychotics can cause seizures leading to epilepsy.
-more than 15% of alcoholics will experience seizures, mostly in
connection with alcohol withdrawal.
-If a parent has epilepsy, the risk of a child developing it is 4-5%.
-Developing epilepsy is 50-60% more common in those under the age of 16,
but can appear at any age.
Citation
Database source documentation-Simeone, Timothy A.; Otto, James F.; Wilcox, Karen S.; White, H. Steve. European Journal of Pharmacology,
Dec2006, Vol. 552 Issue 1-3, p31-35, 5p; DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2006.09.002; (AN 22965208)
Book source documentation-Weaver, Donald F. Epilepsy and Seizures: Everything You Need To Know. P5, 7, 21, 8387. Buffalo, NY: Key Porter, 2001.
Database source documentation—
Shiihara, Takashi; Kato, Mitsuhiro; Ichiyama, Takashi;
Takahashi, Yukitoshi; Tanuma, Naoyuki; Miyata, Rie;
Hayasaka, Kiyoshi. Journal of the Neurological
Sciences, Dec2006, Vol. 250 Issue 1/2, p159-161,
3p; DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2006.07.002; (AN 22966250)
Internet source
Accessed 10-30-06; 1998-2005 the Epilepsy Therapy
Development Project and Epilepsy.com;
<http://www.epilepsy.com/>
Video
about Epilepsy