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University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences


For Other Q&A FAQs or Fact Pages on Common Conditions & Illnesses Treated at UAMS, Click on the menu below.

EPILEPSY

Questions and Answers About EPILEPSY AND SEIZURE DISORDERS

1. What is epilepsy?

2. What causes a person to develop epilepsy?

3. Is epilepsy an inherited condition?

4. What causes epileptic seizures?

5. What kinds of seizures do people with epilepsy have?

6.  What is an aura?

7. Do seizures injure the brain?

8. What should you do if someone has a generalized tonic clonic seizure?

9. What kinds of tests are used in the evaluation of a person who may have epilepsy?

10. How is epilepsy treated?

11. Does epilepsy affect mental ability?

12. Can a person with epilepsy get a driver's license?

13. Can people with epilepsy be employed?

14. Can people with epilepsy take part in sports or other vigorous activities?

15. What about swimming?

16.  What doctors treat epilepsy at UAMS Medical Center?

Making an Appointment at UAMS Medical Center
To make an appointment, call 1-501-686-8000.

1. What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that produces sudden, brief changes in how the brain cells function. When brain cells are not working properly, a person's consciousness, movements or actions may be altered for a short time. These physical changes are called seizures. Epilepsy is defined as recurrent unprovoked seizures.

2. What causes a person to develop epilepsy?
In more than 70% of all cases, no cause can be found. Among the rest, epilepsy may be caused by the following:

3. Is epilepsy an inherited condition?
Some types of epilepsy are definitely associated with genetic factors. At the same time, epilepsy usually develops with no family history of the condition at all.

4. What causes epileptic seizures?
The brain is the control center of the body. Normal electrical signals between cells make the brain and body work correctly. The cells work like little switches, turning electrical charges on and off automatically. But sometimes some cells get stuck in the "on" position, and keep firing. This continuous firing affects other cells and spreads to other parts of the brain, or throughout the brain. The excessive electrical charges may cause a seizure.

5. What kinds of seizures do people with epilepsy have?
Several different kinds of seizures may occur.

  • Generalized tonic clonic seizures (also called grand mal or convulsions) are the most noticeable kind. They happen when the whole brain is suddenly swamped with electrical energy.

  • Absence seizures (also called petit mal) look like daydreaming or blank staring.

  • Atonic seizures, or drop attacks, cause sudden falls.

  • Myoclonic seizures produce massive muscle jerks.

  • Infantile spasms are characterized by head drops or body spasms.

  • Simple partial seizures produce changes in sensation, movement or feeling without alteration of consciousness.

  • Complex partial seizures (also called psychomotor or temporal lobe seizures) affect awareness.

6. What is an aura?
An aura is a feeling or experience that may warn the person that a more severe seizure is about to begin. Examples include a feeling of fear or sickness or an odd smell or taste.

7. Do seizures injure the brain?
Normally, the answer is no. The average seizure does not seem to have any lasting effect on the brain. Many people with epilepsy have had dozens of seizures in their life without noticeable changes in intelligence or alertness. Seizures that last an unusually long time may injure the brain.

8. What should you do if someone has a generalized tonic clonic seizure?

9. What kinds of tests are used in the evaluation of a person who may have epilepsy?
Typically, physicians request a complete medical history and as much information as available about what the seizures looked like and what happened just before they began. An electroencephalograph (EEG) is a test that records brain waves picked up by tiny wires pasted on the scalp. CT or MRI scans take pictures of the inside of the brain.

10. How is epilepsy treated?
Treatment includes medication, surgery, vagus nerve stimulation or a special diet. Of these treatments, regular use of seizure-preventing drugs is by far the most common.

11. Does epilepsy affect mental ability?
Intelligence tests of people with epilepsy generally show a normal range of intelligence. At the same time, some children with epilepsy who are of normal intelligence do not perform in school as well as expected. This can be due to medication or small seizures that may interrupt attention or memory.

12. Can a person with epilepsy get a driver's license?
Yes, it is possible to get a license if the seizures are under control and he or she is under a physician's care. Individual states have different laws that specify the length of time a person must be seizure free before being allowed to drive.

13. Can people with epilepsy be employed?
Yes. People whose seizures are completely controlled can work at most jobs. Others may still have seizures, but can be valuable employees when placed in the right job.

14. Can people with epilepsy take part in sports or other vigorous activities?
In most cases, yes, although a lot depends on the degree of seizure control, the type of sport and what the doctor recommends.

15. What about swimming?
This also depends on the quality of seizure control and doctor's recommendations.Someone with reliable control should be able to swim safely, so long as he or she does so in the company of others who are aware of the epilepsy and are good swimmers themselves. A seizure-prone person should limit swimming to those occasions when close supervision is available.

16.  What doctors treat epilepsy at UAMS Medical Center?
The following doctors are board certified neurologists who have additional training in epilepsy.  To find a complete bio, click on their name below or the "Find a Doctor" link and type in their last name.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
4301 W. Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205

To Make an Appointment Call the Appointments Center at: 1-501-686-8000
 For Patient Information/Rooms, Call 1-501-686-6416
 For General Information and for Numbers Not Listed, Call 1-501-686-7000
 For International Patient Appointments, Call 1-501-686-8071

For Information on Mailing or E-mailing UAMS Patients, Please Click Here

Address:  UAMS Medical Center, 4301 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205


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