ABSTRACT
Epilepsy is a term used to cover a very wide range of complex disorders, all characterised by the presence of seizures and sometimes convulsions. Seizures, or fits, are brief periods of high-frequency, high-voltage electrical discharges from the brain. They are associated with an altered state of consciousness and accompanied by changes in sensory and motor function, causing momentarily abnormal behavioural patterns. The altered state of consciousness may mean a short period of either total or partial loss of consciousness, or simply a state of unawareness. Convulsions are powerful, often violent, rhythmic muscular contractions of the trunk and limbs occurring during a seizure. The word ictal is used to indicate a fit, with interictal meaning the period between two successive fits. Seizures occur in a variety of major or minor types, and are basically the result of cerebral irritation, meaning anything that directly disturbs the function of neurons in the brain. The majority of these one-off fits are caused by temporary, self-correcting, or curable problems.
