By Soee Park
Subtitle: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. While the causes of the condition are rarely defined, scientists have some understanding of what happens to the brain during the seizure. In this article, the basic mechanism of an epileptic seizure is explained using the knowledge of neuronal excitation and inhibition, as well as different theories and their implications.
Introduction:
Approximately 50 million people live with epilepsy worldwide (Epilepsy, 2022), and there are no definitive causes for half of the cases besides the other 40% accounting for inheritance (Causes of Epilepsy, n.d.). A diagnosis of epilepsy is confirmed when a person experiences two or more seizures in which the causes are not reversible or known medical conditions (What is Epilepsy, 2014). The epilepsy varies into multiple types depending on the location of the seizure activity, its progress pathway inside the brain, amounts of brain areas affected, and the duration of its impacts on the brain. Around 60-70% of the epileptic seizures are now controlled with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), and a few percent of patients go through removal surgery if the circumstances allow (Epilepsy, 2022). To choose the right treatment and improve the effects of the feasible ones as a scientist, understanding the mechanism underlying a disorder is crucial. The basic understanding states that epilepsy is due to 'sudden bursts of electrical impulses in the brain'; what is more to this mechanism?
Structure and life cycles of neurons:
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