Roughly 30 percent of epilepsy cases are attributed to severe head injury, brain tumor, poisoning, infection affecting the brain, or stroke. Some forms of epilepsy appear to have a genetic basis. But in most cases, the cause of the disorder is unknown. People who are able to bring their seizures under control with anti-seizure medications are able to live personally and professionally fulfilling lives. But those whose seizures resist treatment face many obstacles.
Uncontrolled seizures can disrupt careers and personal lives.
In children, uncontrolled seizures can interfere with learning, and, in extreme cases in which seizures are frequent and uncontrolled, lead to brain damage. Seizures are abnormal electrical discharges in the brain that temporarily disrupt normal brain function. There are a number of different types of seizures, and adults and children with epilepsy may experience more than one kind. A partial onset seizure can cause sensory distortion, uncontrolled movements, and in some cases, an altered state of consciousness in which the patient appears to be in a trance. A patient in the midst of a partial seizure may make random movements, walk about, run, mumble, or scream.