Seizures - Health Information
from medicinenet.com
What are the causes of epilepsy?
Basic research aims to identify viral, genetic, or other factors that cause epilepsy. These findings provide the basis for developing new and improved methods of prevention and therapy.
What are the newest means of diagnosis?
Scientists are using promising new technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetoencephalography to diagnose epilepsy and pinpoint seizure location.
Is there any treatment?
The goal of modern neurological research is to develop safe, well-tolerated drugs that control seizure. Basic research has brought some of the now more commonly prescribed anticonvulsant drugs to the market. Scientists are also developing ways to test new and better drugs in patients.
IMPROVING AND DEVELOPING NEW SURGICAL TECHNIQUES
This form of treatment, performed at epilepsy clinical research centers, is now an option for more people with epilepsy, including children. For patients whose seizure cannot be controlled with drugs, surgery can turn the dream of a seizure-free life into a reality. Improved technology has made it possible to identify more accurately where seizure originate in the brain and to what extent surgery may affect vital functions, such as smell and speech. As a result, investigators estimate that 2,000 to 5,000 new patients in the United States might be suitable for surgery each year.
