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Epilepsy is a common condition that affects
approximately one in 200 people, and causes
recurrent seizures. Seizures are caused
by excess electrical activity in the brain,
which disrupts the normal communication
between brain cells.
The brain is the control centre for the
whole body, and so what a person experiences
during a seizure will depend upon the area
of the brain that is affected. Most people
will have no recollection of what occurred
during their seizure.
Download
our leaflet 'What is epilepsy?' to read
more about different types of seizure
Epilepsy Research UK is currently funding
a lot of research to find out exactly what
happens to the brain before and during a
seizure:
- Dr Premysl Jiruska, at the University
of Birmingham, is looking at precisely
how seizures start. You can find out more
here
- Professor Annette Dolphin, at University
College London, is investigating the changes
in cell structure that occur in the areas
where seizures begin. Read more here
- Dr David Cope, at Cardiff University
is trying to understand exactly what happens
in the brain during an absence seizure.
Click
here for more information
- Dr Bruno Frenguelli and Professor Nicholas
Dale, at the University of Warwick, have
been given funding to establish the role
of important trigger chemicals, called
adenosine and ATP, in the development
of seizures. Learn more
here
Causes of epilepsy
Occasionally (in approximately 30% of cases)
the cause of epilepsy is known, in which case
it is called 'symptomatic epilepsy'. Common
causes are brain damage (resulting from a
head injury or the brain being starved of
oxygen), scarring of the brain tissue, a tumour,
or chemical / hormonal imbalances. Some types
of epilepsy are inherited, and Epilepsy Research
UK is funding a lot of research to discover
the exact genes responsible. For example:
- Dr Kate Everett, at University College
London, is trying to pinpoint one of the
culprit genes for childhood absence epilepsy.
Read about her project here
Approximately 60% of the time, the cause
of epilepsy is not known, and the condition
is then known as 'idiopathic epilepsy'.
Diagnosis of epilepsy
Diagnosing epilepsy can be very difficult,
especially as approximately one in 20 people
experience a 'funny turn' at some time in
their life. Due to this, epilepsy is rarely
diagnosed after one seizure.
Epilepsy specialists have several tools
to help them make an accurate diagnosis,
however and these include:
Patient and witness accounts
Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans
Download
our leaflet 'Diagnosing epilepsy' to read
more
Two of the projects currently funded by
Epilepsy Research UK are using forms of
MRI to study brain function and the effects
of seizures:
- Professor Mark Richardson, at King's
College London, is looking at how memories
are processed by the brain, using a
special type of MRI. Click
here to read more
- Dr Rod Scott and Dr Mark Lythgoe,
at University College London, are using
MRI to establish how seizures damage
the brain. Find out more here
Treatments for epilepsy
Approximately 70% of epileptic seizures
can be successfully treated and controlled
by appropriate anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs).
Download
our leaflet entitled 'anti-epileptic drugs'
to read about the different AEDs that are
available.
Unfortunately, most AEDs cause unwanted
side-effects, which can lower the quality
of a person's life considerably. Side-effects
can include weight gain, sleepiness, confusion,
unsteadiness, lowered efficacy of the contraceptive
pill and harm to an unborn baby.
People with epilepsy can also experience
other effects, either as a result of their
condition or because of their medication.
These include:
memory loss
People who have had many seizures in their
lifetime often find that their memory is
affected. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is
often difficult to treat with medication,
and memory loss is usually most apparent
in people who have this type of epilepsy.
Click
here to read about the work being done
by Professor William Gray, at the University
of Southampton, who was given a grant by
Epilepsy Research UK to determine whether
or not the memory decline seen in TLE can
be stopped.
Depression
At least one in every eight people with
epilepsy also has depression. Depression
contributes to poor quality of life for
people with epilepsy, and there is evidence
that links depression with poor seizure
control. Despite this, epilepsy services
at all levels (GPs, hospitals and specialist
consultants) rarely detect it. If a good
method of identifying depression in epilepsy
can be found, more people might benefit
from being seizure free in the future.
Professor Mike Kerr, at Cardiff University,
has been awarded a grant by Epilepsy Research
UK, to see if two short questionnaires,
previously developed by his team, can serve
as an effective screening method for depression
in people with epilepsy. Read more here
Other treatments for epilepsy include:
Surgery
Ketogenic diet (click here
for more information)
Vagal nerve stimulation
Epilepsy Research UK currently funds research
aimed at improving the outcome of surgery
in patients with epilepsy:
- Dr Steven Kemp at St James University
Hospital, Leeds, is investigating whether
imaging techniques can be used to predict
which patients will benefit from surgery
for temporal lobe epilepsy. Read more
here
At the opposite end of the treatment spectrum
are 'talking therapies'. Dr Laura Goldstein
and her colleagues at the Department of
Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's
College London, and at the Maudsley Hospital
and King's College Hospital in London, are
looking at how cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT) techniques can be used to change the
way in which people think about their seizures.
They hope to find out whether CBT can reduce
the frequency and / or severity and, if
so, the types of epilepsy that are most
responsive to this kind of therapy. Learn
more about this project here
If you would like to find out more about
treatments for epilepsy, you can download
our leaflet 'Treatments for epilepsy'
here.
Epilepsy and family planning
Women with epilepsy need to be aware of
the possible effect of their AED on the
contraceptive pill and, if they do get pregnant,
the effects it could have on their unborn
child.
If you are a woman with epilepsy, you are
advised to plan your pregnancies very carefully
and and consult your neurologist about your
current medication.
Epilepsy Research UK is funding a project
in Liverpool, led by Miss Janine Winterbottom,
to examine how different women with epilepsy
interpret the information they are given
about pregnancy, and how this affects their
decisions. You can read more about this
project here
In 2001 Epilepsy Research UK awarded a grant
to Dr Jim Morrow and his team at the Royal
Hospital, Belfast, to conduct a large study
into the precise risks of specific AEDs
to unborn babies. A UK Epilepsy and Pregnancy
Register, which the team had set up in 1996,
formed the basis for patient recruitment
to the study. Click here
to find out more about the UK Epilepsy and
Pregnancy Register and how to sign up.
Information resources
Epilepsy Research UK has a series of information
leaflets that you can download free of charge
here.
The topics covered are:
What
is epilepsy?
Diagnosing
Epilepsy
Recording
seizures
What
to do when someone has a seizure
Epilepsy
and photosensitivity
Epilepsy
checklist
Treatments
for epilepsy
Anti-epileptic
drugs
FAQs
on anti-epileptic drugs
Epilepsy
and anti-malarial medication
Vaccinations
for people with epilepsy
Balancing
risk and safety in epilepsy
Epilepsy
and safety in the home
Epilepsy
and safety in school, college and university
Epilepsy
and safety at work
Epilepsy
and safety in sport
Epilepsy
and safety in leisure activities
Epilepsy
and driving
For information on all of our current grant
projects, please click
here
You can also click
here to read the latest epilepsy research
news
There are many organisations that you can
contact with queries and concerns about
epilepsy. We have provided links to their
websites here.
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