Definition

Epilepsy is a seizure disorder. A seizure is an event that involves loss of consciousness and motor (muscular) control. A person with a seizure disorder often experiences repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions. The condition is caused by a sudden change in electrical activity in the brain.

Description

The medical profession now recognizes about twenty different kinds of epilepsy. These forms of the disorder vary on the basis of severity and the parts of the body affected by the seizure. Most patients have only one form of epilepsy. About 30 percent have two or more forms of the disorder.

Experts estimate that about 2 percent of the general population has some form of epilepsy. One in ten Americans experience at least one epileptic seizure at some time in their lives. At least 200,000 Americans have at least one seizure a month.

About 125,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed in the United...