China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Epilepsy/Seizures
Published in Charles Theisler, Adjuvant Medical Care, 2023
Epilepsy, or seizure disorder, is characterized by recurring seizures and is the fourth most common neurological disorder. Common causes of epilepsy are idiopathic (65% of cases), vascular abnormalities (11%), congenital malformations (8%), and trauma (5%).1 A person is diagnosed with epilepsy if they have two unprovoked seizures not caused by some known and reversible medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar. There are two main types of seizures: (1) generalized seizures affect the whole brain and (2) partial or focal seizures that affect just one part of the brain. A generalized seizure that causes loss of awareness or control can be dangerous, leading to vehicular accidents, falls, drownings, etc.
Seizures
Published in Alexander R. Toftness, Incredible Consequences of Brain Injury, 2023
This probably goes without saying, but seizures are dangerous. Seizures may cause progressive damage to the brain, and even sudden death. This is why it is important to try and prevent seizures. The dangers are most severe for people with prolonged seizures, but milder epilepsies—that some have called benign because there are no obvious signs or symptoms—also show mild negative effects in the brain upon a closer look (Schoenberg et al., 2011). Unfortunately, around 75% of people worldwide with epilepsy are currently untreated (Thijs et al., 2019).
Epilepsy and exanthema
Published in Dinesh Kumar Jain, Homeopathy, 2022
Epilepsy is a group of disorders characterized by chronic recurrent paroxysmal changes in neurological function caused by abnormal electrical activity of the brain. Causes of seizures are intracranial birth injury, acute infection, metabolic disturbances, genetic disorders, febrile convulsion, alcoholism, brain tumor, and cardiovascular disease (Dichter, 1983, pp. 2018–2027). “Epileptic attacks usually recur at intervals throughout life but in some cases they disappear spontaneously either for years or permanently. Occasionally isolated fits may not be repeated” (Warner, 1964, p. 1141).
Quality of Life in Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures: An Evolutionary Concept Analysis
Published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2022
Sandra J. Cobb, Lora Humphrey Beebe
The third attribute of QOL in PNES is that it is associated with seizure, somatic, and psychological symptoms. Seizure-specific symptoms include seizure worry, seizures frequency, and seizure freedom. While seizure-specific symptoms affect QOL less than other factors in people with PNES, they still contribute to QOL in this population. Seizure worry represents the patient’s concerns with the unpredictability of PNES. Seizure frequency is usually not associated with QOL in PNES (Jones et al., 2016). However, if seizure frequency is conceptualized as a recurring somatic symptom, patients may associate it with QOL. Attaining seizure freedom is associated with better QOL in patients with PNES (Walther et al., 2019, 2020). Patients with PNES often experience recurring somatic symptoms such as pain, insomnia, fatigue (Jones et al., 2016). These symptoms significantly hinder physical functioning and other QOL domains. Psychological health is an important indicator of QOL. In PNES, QOL is correlated with depression, anxiety, alexithymia, dissociation, anger, and distress (Jones et al., 2016). Depression is the most strongly correlated psychiatric diagnosis with PNES (Jones et al., 2016).
A review of the pharmacotherapeutic considerations for managing epilepsy in people with autism
Published in Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 2022
Lance V Watkins, Maire O’Dwyer, Rohit Shankar
A seizure is a transient presentation of neurological symptoms resulting from abnormal or excessive neuronal activity. The origin of the neuronal activity will influence the semiology of a seizure and may include sensory, motor, emotional, or behavioral changes [3]. A seizure may be provoked by a broad range of physiological insults including fever, sleep deprivation, hypoglycemia, hypernatremia, hypocalcemia, toxic substances. However, a provoked seizure in context does not meet the clinical criteria for a diagnosis of epilepsy. Epilepsy is conceptually a disorder where the brain has a predisposition to further seizure activity. The practical definition of epilepsy defined by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Task Force includes the clinical situations in which there is a high probability of seizure recurrence after just one unprovoked or reflex seizure (>60%) [4].
Current perspectives on the benefits, risks, and limitations of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) for post-stroke dysphagia
Published in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2021
The first safety guideline for rTMS was established in 1998 [6], which had been reviewed and updated in 2009 [74] and 2020 [75]. Induced seizure is the most undesirable side effect due to the spread of excitation. Fortunately, there have not been any reports of permanent damage [6,75]. Since the establishment of the safety guidelines, the occurrence of induced seizures has been extremely rare, with estimated risk of less than 0.03% [75]. The latest guideline found that there are no particular protocols that are more likely to trigger seizure nor a particular type of patient that is more prone to seizures [75]. Other known adverse effects include effects on cognition and mood, transient effects on hormones and lymphocytes, transient auditory threshold shift, pain and headache, skin burns when applied over conductive surface electrodes or implants and psychological consequences of induced seizure [6,75]. One significant update from the most recent guideline is that rTMS using figure-of-eight coil is considered safe in individuals with cardiac pacemakers, vagus nerve stimulators, and spinal cord stimulators as long as rTMS is applied at least 10 cm away from electronic components [75]. Moreover, patients who are taking drugs that lower the seizure threshold are now considered safe to receive rTMS, although documentation of concurrent drug intake is still highly recommended.