epilepsy

epilepsy Seizure disorder. When nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses at a rate up to four times higher than normal, a sort of electrical storm, called a seizure, occurs in the brain. Epilepsy is characterized by a pattern of repeated seizures. Known causes of epilepsy include head injuries, brain tumors, lead poisoning, maldevelopment of the brain, and genetic and infectious illnesses. However, in half of cases, no cause can be found. Medication can control seizures for the majority of patients. In cases of epilepsy that cannot be managed with drugs, a ketogenic diet or brain surgery may be considered. See also Aicardis syndrome; Landau-Kleffner syndrome; Lennox-Gastaut syndrome; Otahara syndrome; Ramsey Hunt syndrome; Rasmussen syndrome; Rett syndrome; seizure; seizure disorder; seizure, tonic-clonic; Sturge-Weber syndrome; Tassinari syndrome.