Epilepsy & seizure Flashcards
what is epilepsy and seizure disorder
- Abnormal movements or behaviour due to unusual electrical activity in the brain
- Create episodes of uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain that result in seizures
do all people with seizure disorder get exposed to epilepsy
no
seizure vs epilepsy
- Epilepsy is having multiple unprovoked seizures (two or more likely)
- A seizure is different from epilepsy because its a single
occurrence
4 questions doctors want to answer when diagnosing
1) Was the seizure caused by a treatable, short term
problem?
2) Was it caused by a previous problem in the brain?
3) Is there a structural abnormality causing seizures?
4) Was the seizure a one time occurrence or epilepsy?
how to diagnose
- EEG Test: sensors placed on scalp to record electrical
activity - PET scan: used to locate where seizures are occuring in the brain
- CT scan & MRI: reveal any structure abnormalities
- SPECT: detects area of the brain generating the seizures
- Blood test: check for infection/disease, blood count
- Evaluate medical history
- Conduct physical evaluation
symptoms of seizures
● Temporary confusion
● A staring spell
● Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs
● Lip Smacking
● Loss of consciousness or awareness
● Psychic symptoms such as fear, anxiety or deja vu
seizure triggers
● Sleep deprivation ● Flashing bright lights or patterns ● Alcohol or drug abuse ● Stress ● Missed medicines ● Not eating well, low blood sugar ● Fevers ● Menstrual cycle (women) ● Exercise (sometimes)
treatments
- Anti-epileptic drugs (AED’s)
- Epilepsy Surgery
- Exercise
what 5 things do treatment depend on
- Frequency of Seizure
- Severity
- Persons age, overall health and medical history
AED stands for
Anti-epileptic Drugs (AED’S)
AED’s
- Help control seizures in 70% of people with epilepsy
- Doctors start with a low dose and increase it until the
seizures decrease or stop - Disadvantage are the side effects that occur when taking
AED’s
what is the most common treatment for epilepsy
Anti-epileptic Drugs (AED’S)
epilepsy surgery
- Only used if AED’s are not effective or controlling the
seizures - Tests could show that the seizures are caused by a small
part of your brain that could be removed - 70% of people who get epilepsy surgery become seizure free
types of epilepsy surgery
- Resective
- Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy
- Deep Brain Stimulation
how to exercise effect epilepsy
- Helps improve seizure control
- Improvement of physical and mental
health parameters - Reduces stress that helps decrease
the amount of seizures - Exercise could be a trigger but it
is extremely rare