ABSTRACT
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS Epilepsy Epilepsy is a seizure disorder and is the second most common neurological condition in the UK. It is diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures and medical conditions like alcohol withdrawal or hypoglycaemia have been excluded. Most causes of epilepsy are unknown (up to 70%); however seizures may be related to brain injury or a genetic tendency. Epilepsy is classifi ed according to seizure type into generalised or partial. Generalized seizures usually involve the whole brain and include tonic-clonic, absence and myoclonic seizures. Partial seizures start in just one part of the brain and can be either simple or complex. Although most seizures come out of the blue, some have classic trigger factors including excessive alcohol intake, raised stress, fl ashing or strobe lights and lack of sleep. Generalised seizures often present with sudden loss of consciousness, uncontrollable twitching and jerking movements, loss of bladder control and tongue biting. Seizures usually last for up to 2 minutes and are usually followed by a period of confusion. The patient may have an aura prior to the seizure, experiencing an abnormal smell or unusual metallic taste in the mouth.
