Epilepsy is a chronic medical condition produced by temporary changes in the electrical function of the brain, causing recurrent seizures which affect awareness, movement, or sensation. "Recurrent" is a key word because a dog who has an isolated seizure does not have epilepsy. Also note that epilepsy is not a disease but rather a neurological disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in the form of seizures.

No, epilepsy is never contagious. You cannot catch epilepsy from someone else and nobody can catch it from you.

In about seven out of ten people with epilepsy, no cause can be found. Among the rest, the cause may be any one of a number of things that can make a difference in the way the brain works. For example, head injuries or lack of oxygen during birth may damage the delicate electrical system in the brain.

The doctor's main tool in diagnosing epilepsy is a careful medical history with as much information as possible about what the seizures looked like and what happened just before they began. A second major tool is an electroencephalograph (EEG). This is a machine that records brain waves picked up by tiny wires taped to the head. Electrical signals from brain cells are recorded as wavy lines by the machine.

Epilepsy may be treated with drugs, surgery, a special diet, or an implanted device programmed to stimulate the vagus nerve (VNS therapy). Of these treatments, drug therapy is by far the most common, and is usually the first to be tried. A number of medications are currently used in the treatment of epilepsy. These medications control different types of seizures.

Epilepsy monitoring is the use of simultaneous video-electroencephalography (EEG). Performed on an inpatient basis, video-EEG provides brainwave recordings simultaneous with videotaping of the patient. This technique has been called long-term monitoring. Epilepsy monitoring takes many forms including: prolonged standard EEG, ambulatory EEG monitoring and simultaneous video-EEG monitoring.

In some patients with long-standing epilepsy, the cause of the seizure may be slow-growing tumors, vascular malformations (an abnormal clump of blood vessels in the brain), infections or congenital abnormalities. These lesions are picked up on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Removal of a lesion may cure a patient's epilepsy. These patients are best evaluated at a comprehensive epilepsy center.

Witnessing a seizure, the primary manifestation of epilepsy, can be a frightening experience for someone who is unfamiliar with the disorder and can be perceived far worse than it actually is. This "fear" dates back to ancient times, when people thought that anyone who experienced a seizure was "possessed by demons". Even today misperceptions continue to influence public attitudes and behavior toward people with the disorder.

According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America (EFA), many symptoms may indicate that a person has developed epilepsy , however only a physician can diagnose the condition. The symptoms include: occasional "fainting spells" in which bladder or bowel control is lost, followed by extreme fatigue While these symptoms may not always indicate epilepsy, if one or more is present, a medical examination is recommended.

Although medical science has made significant strides in recent years in understanding epilepsy, and surgery offers hope for a cure for some patients, for most a cure does not yet exist. However, the disorder can be treated, and people with epilepsy who suffer uncontrolled seizures and/or are dissatisified with their therapy should continue to work with their physician to seek an effective treatment program.

Most cases of epilepsy are not inherited, although some types have a genetic basis. Most of these types are easily controlled with medication. Epilepsy syndromes with a genetic basis: Primary Generalized Epilepsies, Benign Rolandic Epilepsy, Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy, Familial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Benign Familial Neonatal Seizures and Benign Familial Infantile Spasms.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. "Unprovoked" means that there is no immediate cause for the seizure, such as a fever, an infection of the brain, or head trauma. Nearly 10% of people will have a seizure during their lifetime; most of these are "provoked" seizures during an acute illness or condition. These people may never go on to have another seizure, and therefore do not have epilepsy.