Condition Lookup
Category:
Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Number of Conditions: 9
Status Epilepticus
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
seizure lasting >5 minutes; recurrent seizures without recovery; altered consciousness
Root Cause:
Prolonged seizure activity leading to neuronal hyperexcitability and excitotoxicity.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical observation, EEG monitoring, and blood work to rule out metabolic causes.
Treatment:
Emergency treatment with benzodiazepines, followed by second-line AEDs or anesthesia in refractory cases.
Medications:
Lorazepam or diazepam initially, followed by fosphenytoin , valproate, or levetiracetam . These stabilize neuronal membranes and inhibit excitability.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 20-40 cases per 100,000 people annually.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Uncontrolled epilepsy, brain injury, CNS infections, and metabolic disorders.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; mortality is 10-20% in severe cases. Neurological outcomes depend on the underlying cause and duration.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Brain damage, systemic complications like rhabdomyolysis, and cardiac arrhythmias.
Focal Seizures
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
localized muscle twitching; sensory changes (e.g., tingling, visual disturbances); autonomic symptoms (e.g., sweating, palpitations); altered consciousness in some cases
Root Cause:
Abnormal electrical activity originating in a specific region of the brain, often caused by structural, genetic, or acquired abnormalities.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, EEG to identify seizure activity, MRI or CT to detect structural abnormalities, and blood tests to rule out metabolic causes.
Treatment:
Anti-seizure medications, surgical intervention if seizures are drug-resistant, and lifestyle modifications to avoid triggers.
Medications:
Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) such as levetiracetam , lamotrigine , carbamazepine , and oxcarbazepine are commonly prescribed. These medications work by stabilizing neuronal electrical activity.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 60% of epilepsy cases involve focal seizures.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Brain injury, stroke, infections such as meningitis, genetic predisposition, and cortical dysplasia.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with effective treatment; however, some cases may progress to drug-resistant epilepsy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Risk of injury during a seizure, progression to generalized seizures, and possible impacts on cognitive or emotional health.
Generalized Seizures
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
loss of consciousness; jerking movements; stiffening; episodes of staring or brief absence
Root Cause:
Abnormal electrical activity involving both hemispheres of the brain, often idiopathic or linked to genetic predispositions.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical observation, EEG showing widespread seizure activity, and imaging if a structural cause is suspected.
Treatment:
AEDs, ketogenic diet, and in some cases, neurostimulation devices like VNS or surgery.
Medications:
Valproate, lamotrigine , topiramate , and levetiracetam are commonly used to manage generalized seizures. These medications work as neuronal stabilizers or inhibitors of hyperexcitability.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Generalized seizures account for about 40% of epilepsy cases.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition, brain malformations, and certain metabolic disorders.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies; some achieve full control with treatment, while others may have persistent seizures.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Risk of injury, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), and impacts on quality of life.
Absence Seizures
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
brief staring episodes; sudden stop in activity; minor movements such as blinking or lip-smacking
Root Cause:
Disruption in thalamocortical circuits causing synchronous, abnormal firing.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
EEG showing characteristic 3 Hz spike-and-wave discharges, clinical observation of episodes.
Treatment:
AEDs, particularly ethosuximide and valproate; avoidance of triggers like sleep deprivation.
Medications:
Ethosuximide is the first-line treatment, followed by valproate or lamotrigine . These drugs modulate calcium channels or GABAergic activity.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in children, representing 10-15% of epilepsy diagnoses in pediatric cases.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition and a family history of epilepsy.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Often resolves by adolescence; some may develop other seizure types.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Learning difficulties, behavioral issues, and progression to other seizure types.
Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
loss of consciousness; stiffening of muscles (tonic phase); jerking movements (clonic phase); postictal confusion and fatigue
Root Cause:
Generalized seizure activity involving both hemispheres of the brain, often caused by genetic factors, brain injury, or metabolic abnormalities.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical history, EEG showing generalized epileptiform discharges, and imaging to exclude structural causes.
Treatment:
AEDs, safety precautions during seizures, and possibly surgical intervention for refractory cases.
Medications:
Valproate, lamotrigine , levetiracetam , or phenytoin are commonly used. These medications enhance GABAergic activity or block sodium channels.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Tonic-clonic seizures are one of the most recognized seizure types and occur in about 20% of people with epilepsy.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Head trauma, infections, genetic predisposition, and substance withdrawal.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with treatment; most achieve seizure control, though refractory cases may persist.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Injury, fractures, SUDEP, and impacts on memory and cognition.
Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
multiple seizure types; developmental delays; behavioral problems; frequent falls due to atonic seizures
Root Cause:
Severe childhood epilepsy syndrome, often linked to brain malformations, injuries, or genetic disorders.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
EEG with slow spike-and-wave patterns, MRI to identify structural abnormalities, and developmental assessments.
Treatment:
Combination of AEDs, ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation, or surgical interventions like corpus callosotomy.
Medications:
Valproate, clobazam , lamotrigine , and cannabidiol (CBD) are commonly used. These drugs stabilize neuronal hyperactivity and reduce seizure frequency.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, affecting 1-2 per 100,000 children annually.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Perinatal brain injury, infections, genetic mutations, and structural brain abnormalities.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poor; seizures are often refractory, and developmental outcomes are significantly impacted.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Severe cognitive and behavioral issues, injury from seizures, and high caregiver burden.
Dravet Syndrome
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
prolonged febrile seizures; developmental regression; frequent seizures of various types; ataxia and motor difficulties
Root Cause:
Genetic mutations, particularly in the SCN1A gene, affecting sodium channel function.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Genetic testing for SCN1A mutations, EEG, and clinical history of early-onset seizures.
Treatment:
AEDs, ketogenic diet, and careful temperature management to prevent febrile seizures.
Medications:
Cannabidiol (CBD), stiripentol , valproate, and clobazam are commonly used. Sodium channel blockers should be avoided.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, affecting approximately 1 in 15,000 to 20,000 individuals.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic mutation in the SCN1A gene, family history of epilepsy.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poor; seizures are often drug-resistant, and developmental outcomes are significantly affected.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Developmental delays, risk of SUDEP, and frequent hospitalizations.
Febrile Seizures
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
generalized tonic-clonic activity triggered by fever; temporary unresponsiveness; postictal drowsiness in complex cases
Root Cause:
Immature neuronal circuits predisposed to seizures during fever.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical history, exclusion of meningitis or encephalitis, and family history.
Treatment:
Often self-limited; antipyretics and reassurance. AEDs are rarely used.
Medications:
Diazepam or midazolam may be used acutely in prolonged cases. These are benzodiazepines that enhance GABA activity.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects 2-5% of children aged 6 months to 5 years.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history of febrile seizures, high fever, and young age.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent; most resolve without long-term effects.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Rarely progresses to epilepsy or recurrent febrile seizures.
Mesial Temporal Sclerosis
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Symptoms:
focal seizures with impaired awareness; aura (e.g., déjà vu, olfactory hallucinations); progression to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures
Root Cause:
Scarring in the hippocampus, often due to prolonged febrile seizures, trauma, or hypoxia.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI showing hippocampal atrophy or sclerosis, EEG confirming seizure focus, and detailed seizure history.
Treatment:
AEDs and surgical resection (e.g., anterior temporal lobectomy) for refractory cases.
Medications:
Levetiracetam , carbamazepine , or lamotrigine . These AEDs stabilize neuronal activity and reduce seizure frequency.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common cause of drug-resistant focal epilepsy, particularly in adults.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Febrile seizures, temporal lobe injury, and genetic susceptibility.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; surgical intervention often provides significant improvement in drug-resistant cases.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Memory impairment, emotional disturbances, and progression to generalized seizures.