(PM3B) Epilepsy Flashcards
What percentage of the population are affected by epilepsy?
~1%
What is epilepsy?
Neuronal hyperexcitability disorder
Arises from excess excitability/ disinhibition
What is disinhibition?
Inability to suppress inappropriate behaviour
What are the principle types of seizure?
(1) Partial seizures
(2) Generalised seizures
How is epilepsy most often characterised?
(1) Convulsions – impairment of motor activity
(2) Impaired consciousness
(3) Impaired perception
(4) Impaired behaviour
What is the most prevalent symptom of epilepsy?
Seizures
What is a convulsion?
Sudden, violent, irregular movement of a limb or of the body, caused by involuntary contraction of muscles
Is a convulsion the same as a seizure?
No
A seizure is a type of convulsion
A seizure is a convulsion due to epileptiform brain activity
Is an isolated seizure considered to be epilepsy?
No
What are some possible triggers of an isolated seizure?
(1) CNS infection/ inflammation
(2) Stroboscopic lighting
(3) Metabolic dysfunction
(4) Head injury
(5) Fever
(6) Drug-related
How can an isolated seizure be associated with epilepsy?
Repeated isolated seizures can increase risk of epilepsy development
What are some co-morbidities of epilepsy?
(1) Depression
(2) Anxiety
(3) Cognitive decline
(4) Agitation/ anger
(5) Suicide
(6) ADHD
(7) Reproductive problems
(8) Insomnia
(9) Migraine
What association is there between Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy?
There is an increased prevalence of seizures in patients with AD
What seizure types are there?
(1) Generalised
(2) Partial
(3) Secondary generalisation
(4) Simple/ complex
What is a generalised seizure?
Involves entire brain
Tonic-clonic/ absence seizures