What is epilepsy?

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurring seizures. Seizures are periods of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause a person to lose consciousness, have hallucinations, and experience severe muscle spasms.

    There are two main types of seizures that people with epilepsy may experience:

    • Focal seizures, where abnormal electrical activity is limited to a specific region of the brain.

    • Generalized seizures (also known as tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures), where abnormal electrical activity affects the whole brain.[1]

    References

    1. ^Devinsky O, Vezzani A, O'Brien TJ, Jette N, Scheffer IE, de Curtis M, Perucca PEpilepsy.Nat Rev Dis Primers.(2018-May-03)