EPILEPSY

By: Dylan Steinhaus

Date: 2-11-12

Class: Bio 6&7

DIAGNOSIS • Epilepsy is a disorder of the nervous system that

affects 2-1/2 million Americans. More than 180,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year.

• People have seizures when the electrical signals in the brain send off the wrong discharges. The brain's normal electrical signals are disrupted by these overactive electrical discharges, causing a temporary reaction of loss of control between nerve cells.

• a brain injury, such as from a car crash • an infection or sickness that affected the

development brain of the fetus during pregnancy

• lack of oxygen to a baby’s brain during birth• Brain tumors or strokes• poisonings, like lead or alcohol poisoning

Causes

• Symptoms vary from person to person. Some people may stare off at nothing blankly, while can others have violent shaking and loss of alertness breakdowns. The type of seizure depends on the part of the brain affected by epilepsy. All symptoms span off of seizures.

LOCATION• Researchers have found a genetic defect on

chromosome 15. Patients with epilepsy are missing a certain part of this chromosome.

• Epilepsy effects the functions of a sodium channel in proteins

TREATMENT

• Treatment for epilepsy can include special diets, drugs, surgery, or a combination of these options. There is no known cure for epilepsy. But medications can control seizures in most people. These medicines do not actually stop the problems that cause seizures. They work by stopping the seizures from occurring.

Credits!!!!!!• http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/brain_nervous/epilepsy.html#

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090114075919.htm

• http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/epilepsy/overview.html

• http://epilepsy.emedtv.com/epilepsy/epilepsy-medication.html

• http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_medicines?gclid=CK2g6sfgw64CFQRN4AodZle6Tg