Epilepsy

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a chronic condition affecting the brain that causes repeated seizures. It is the fourth most common neurological disorder worldwide. 

Epilepsy affects people in many ways. Seizures are just one aspect of epilepsy that affect daily life. Epilepsy may also result in behavioral, social, and cognitive problems.

Epilepsy Symptoms

The main symptom of epilepsy is repeated or recurrent seizures, which occur due to uncontrolled, abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain that cause changes to physical and mental function.

Signs and symptoms of epileptic seizures depend on which area of the brain is affected. People with epilepsy may experience:

• Abnormal eye movements
• Changes in sensation (hearing, vision, taste, smell, numbness, tingling)
• Complete loss of muscle tone (drop attacks)
• Drooling or frothing at the mouth
• Lip-smacking, hand-rubbing, chewing motions, finger motions
• Staring spells
• Temporary confusion and difficulty thinking, speaking, or understanding
• Temporary loss of consciousness or awareness
• Uncontrolled muscle movements (twitching, jerking, convulsions)

Some people with repeated seizures may experience strange feelings or sensations before the seizure happens. These warning signs are called auras. For some people, the auras are long enough and reliable enough that they can warn of an impending seizure.

What Causes Epilepsy?

About 50 percent of epilepsy cases have no known cause. The remainder of people with epilepsy have an underlying cause such as:

Structural abnormalities in the brain:

• Abnormal blood vessels in the brain such as arteriovenous malformations
• Congenital brain conditions (abnormalities present at birth)

Injuries to the brain:

• Brain injuries that happen while a baby develops before birth or during birth
• Infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, or brain abscesses
• Traumatic brain injuries from car accidents, falls, projectiles, or other events
• Strokes

Other health conditions:

• Autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks brain cells
• Brain tumors 
• Degenerative processes that damage or destroy brain tissue, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease
• Metabolic disorders
• Genetic changes

Types of Epilepsy

There are many different types of epilepsy. Epileptologists (neurologists who specialize in epilepsy) classify epilepsies based on the types of seizures, what causes them, and other symptoms.

Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) are severe types of epilepsy that begin early in life, usually during infancy. DEEs are characterized by a combination of repeated seizures and encephalopathy (a condition affecting brain function).

Learn more about the Pediatric Epilepsy Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Rare Epilepsies

Epilepsies that affect fewer than 200,000 people worldwide are considered rare. There are about two dozen types of rare epilepsy, including:

• Angelman syndrome is an inherited condition caused by abnormal changes in the UBE3A gene. Seizures usually begin in children with Angelman syndrome between 2 and 3 years of age.
• CDKL5 deficiency disorder is an inherited epilepsy that affects infants usually within the first three months of life. The condition is caused by changes in the CDKL5 gene that carries the code to make a protein needed for normal brain development.
• Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy is an inherited epilepsy with seizures beginning in infancy and sometimes even before birth. These seizures respond well to supplemental treatment with pyridoxine (vitamin B6).
• Rasmussen syndrome is a type of chronic inflammation in which cells from the immune system damage only one side of the brain. This inflammatory damage causes seizures, cognitive and speech impairments, and problems moving one side of the body (hemiparesis). The condition usually occurs in children under 10.
• Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an inherited disorder that causes tumors with a root-shaped (tuberous) appearance in the brain. Epilepsy is common in people diagnosed with TSC.

Care for All Types of Epilepsy at Penn Medicine

Penn Medicine’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center is a designated Level 4 epilepsy center, in recognition of our expertise and advanced clinical care. We offer every available option for epilepsy diagnosis, including a state-of-the-art Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for comfortable, safe inpatient testing.

Our world-renowned neurologists and neurosurgeons are experts at epilepsy treatment designed to reduce the number and severity of seizures. We work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that may include leading medications, surgical procedures, or the latest implantable devices.

We understand that epilepsy affects your whole life. As part of our care, we’ve assembled a comprehensive collection of support services for people who are living with epilepsy.

Learn more about our Comprehensive Epilepsy Center

Make an Appointment

Please call 800-789-7366 or make an appointment.

Penn Programs & Services for Epilepsy