Back To Basics—Definition of Seizure and Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder which is characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures, often with no known cause.  The word unprovoked is important here because someone can have one seizure due to alcohol, sudden head trauma, lack of sleep, or extreme stress.  That individual seizure is not counted as epilepsy. 

Seizures and Syndromes

Epilepsy is very complicated because it comprises a spectrum of seizures and syndromes. Someone who has two or more unprovoked seizures (e.g., not related to alcohol, drugs, flashing lights) within 24 hours is considered to have epilepsy. There are two broad classifications of seizures:  generalized and partial.  Within these main groups, there are at least 10 types.

EEG Training Lacking

EEG (Electroencephalography) is critical to epilepsy diagnosis.  It is the primary test to determine if someone has epilepsy or not.  If the EEG is misread, it often leads to a misdiagnosis of seizures and epilepsy.  According to the article “EEG Training for Neurologists is Inadequate,” there is a lack of education in EEG reading.  In most medical education programs, it is not required for neurology residencies, but offered