Any condition that causes damage to the brain can lead to epilepsy because damage to the brain makes it difficult for brain cells to control their electrical activity. They may become easily overstimulated, so they fire electrical impulses when they shouldn’t. In addition, brain damage can cause changes in the way brain cells are connected to each other. When a small group of brain cells becomes overly active, this activation can spread to other parts of the brain, causing a seizure.
Cerebral palsy is caused by a brain injury. The damage to the brain interferes with the brain’s ability to control the body’s movements, causing the symptoms of CP. In children with CP, damage to the brain may occur before, during, or shortly after birth. For example, oxygen deprivation during birth can cause brain damage, leading to CP.
Cerebral palsy doesn’t cause epilepsy. Instead, both conditions are manifestations of underlying damage to the brain. This brain damage occurs early in life in children with CP. Because of this, if a child with CP is going to develop epilepsy, they’ll generally show symptoms in infancy or early childhood. Out of children with CP who also have epilepsy, about 50 percent have their first seizure within the first year of life.