Epilepsy

What is epilepsy? 

Epilepsy, often referred to as seizures disorder or “falling disease”, is a brain disorder. A person diagnosed with epilepsy must have had at least 2 seizures. It is worth noting that in the formal definition it is not a disease, but a symptom or a neurological disorder. 

What is epilepsy caused by?

There are a few risk factors for epilepsy, when in a large part of the cases it is a combination between hereditary and environmental factors. Among the situations that can trigger epilepsy, there is brain damage [stroke, cerebral palsy or a brain tumor], infection diseases that effect the brain [meningitis], head trauma, dementia and so on. At times, it can be a person’s lifestyle that increases the chances for epilepsy: using drugs and overindulging in alcohol. 

In the genetic plain, there is a condition of genetic disruption among epilepsy patients, that brings about damage to the way the electrical stimulation passes between nerve cells. It is important to note that the hereditary factor of the disease and the genetic mutation involved is still being researched, so there is no conclusive decision on the matter.

In about a third of the cases, the reason for epilepsy is unknown.

What are the symptoms of epilepsy?

The most noticeable symptom of epilepsy are the seizures, which can be short or long. These convulsions repeat, when often there is no outside factor that triggers them. The characteristics of the seizures, like the number of convulsions or accompanied symptoms, can bring about the diagnosis of epilepsy.

As said above, seizures are the main symptom of epilepsy, even so that it is a symptom that varies in characteristics and severity from case to case. There are 2 main categories of seizures, focal seizure and generalized seizure. In the former, the source of irregular activity is a lone area of the brain. In the generalized seizure, are causes by electrical activity all around the brain, and all at once.

These seizures can be motoric or non-motoric, and some come with a change in consciousness.

Epilepsy in children

The first epileptic seizure may occur at an early age, and it is one of the more common disorders in the nervous system at these ages. Epilepsy in children is a brain condition that cause seizures, and when the kid has more than 2 seizures with no reason, it is diagnosed as epilepsy. Epilepsy can appear at a very early age and be cause by a birth complications or defect, which causes the flowing of oxygen to the fetus to be compromised.

There are a few types of seizures, and the type of seizure is linked to the part of the brain effected during the seizure.

Adult epilepsy

The type of seizure occurring to an adult is dependent on where is the electrical disturbance in the brain, and how much it is affecting it. There could be multiple types.

Adult epilepsy will usually appear after the age of 60. The seizures can be attributed to the vast number of conditions effecting the brain: the epilepsy foundation states that the seizures are linked to the changing of the old brain that are caused by strokes, heart diseases, Alzheimer or brain tumors. 

The importance of diagnosing epilepsy

It is vital that we diagnose the disease correctly, as it can sometimes be diagnosed as ADHD, as it contains “cut offs” and can make concentrating and studying difficult.

What are the healing rates?

The main goal of epilepsy treatment is to reduce, as much as possible, the amount and severity of the symptoms, mainly the seizures. In some cases, it is possible to fully heal from epilepsy. Furthermore, in early age epilepsy, it is possible to make a surgical amputation of the area defined as the epileptic source. 

In most cases, the focus is on improving the situation and making life easier for the patient. The good news is that a costumed and effective treatment can make the seizures almost obsolete. With the treatment, we can get control over the illness, and get to a situation where there are no more seizures. Usually, it takes a long and gradual treatment to get there, but with different advanced tool, it is a very optimistic picture. And this is where Neurofeedback comes in.

Treating epilepsy

Treating epilepsy for adults and kids with the Neurofeedback technology has occurred for 40 years. In most cases, the area of the brain where there is irregular electrical activity is characterized with a low frequency and high intensity of brain waves.

Neurofeedback therapy regulates the electrical activity in this area of the brain and makes it difficult for the brain to induce a seizure. 

In many studies conducted over the years, mainly the ones where epilepsy was impervious to medicine, it has been found that Neurofeedback therapy was a kind of “vaccination” to counter the development of epileptic seizures and a leading factor in reducing the number of seizures.  

Mayrav Shaked – Toledano

Clinical social worker M.S.W, years of treating children and adults with ADD/ADHD, attention disorders, anxiety and personal difficulties.
Mentoring parents, groups and professionals, with a vast experience in social services and mental health.
B.A and M.A in social work from Bar Ilan university.

B.A in criminology and informal education from Bar Ilan University.