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Note: Due to the large number of epilepsy syndromes and treatments, only a few are discussed in this booklet. Additional information may be available from your doctor or other health professionals, from medical libraries, or by calling the NINDS Office of Communications and Public Liaison at the number provided on the Information Resources card in the back pocket of this brochure.

• absence epilepsy—epilepsy in which the person has repeated absence seizures.
• absence seizures—the type of seizure seen in absence epilepsy, in which the person experiences a momentary loss in consciousness. The person may stare into space for several seconds and may have some twitching or jerking of muscles.
• ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone)—a substance that can be used to treat infantile spasms.
• atonic seizures—seizures which cause a sudden loss of muscle tone, also called drop attacks.
• auras—unusual sensations or movements that warn of an impending, more severe seizure. These auras are actually simple partial seizures in which the person maintains consciousness.
• automatisms—strange, repetitious behaviors that occur during a seizure. Automatisms may include blinks, twitches, mouth movements, or even walking in a circle.
• benign epilepsy syndrome—epilepsy syndromes that do not seem to impair cognitive function or development.
• benign infantile encephalopathy—a type of epilepsy syndrome that occurs in infants. It is considered benign because it does not seem to impair cognitive functions or development.
• benign neonatal convulsions—a type of epilepsy syndrome in newborns that does not seem to impair cognitive functions or development.
• biofeedback—a strategy in which individuals learn to control their own brain waves or other normally involuntary functions. This is an experimental treatment for epilepsy.
• celiac disease—an intolerance to wheat gluten in foods that can lead to seizures and other symptoms.
• clonic seizures—seizures that cause repeated jerking movements of muscles on both sides of the body.
• complex partial seizures—seizures in which only one part of the brain is affected, but the person has a change in or loss of consciousness.
• convulsions—seizures accompanied by involuntary jerking movements.
• corpus callosotomy—surgery that severs the corpus callosum, the network of neural connections between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
• CT (computed tomography)—a type of brain scan that reveals the structure of the brain.
• drop attacks—seizures that cause sudden falls; another term for atonic seizures.
• dysplasia—areas of misplaced or abnormally formed neurons in the brain.
• early myoclonic encephalopathy—a type of epilepsy syndrome that usually includes neurological and developmental problems.
• eclampsia—a life-threatening condition that can develop in pregnant women. Its symptoms include sudden elevations of blood pressure and seizures.
• electroencephalogram (EEG)—a test which uses electrodes to record brain waves.
• epilepsy syndromes—disorders with a specific set of symptoms that include epilepsy.
• excitatory neurotransmitters—nerve signaling chemicals that increase activity in neurons.
• febrile seizures—seizures in infants and children that are associated with a high fever.
• frontal lobe epilepsy—a type of epilepsy that originates in the frontal lobe of the brain. It usually involves a cluster of short seizures with a sudden onset and termination.
• functional MRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)—a type of brain scan that can be used to monitor the brain’s activity and to detect abnormalities in how it works.
• GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)—an inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays a role in some types of epilepsy.
• generalized seizures—seizures that result from abnormal neuronal activity in many parts of the brain. These seizures may cause loss of consciousness, falls, or massive muscle spasms.
• glia—cells that regulate concentrations of chemicals that affect neuron signaling and perform other important functions in the brain.
• glutamate—an excitatory neurotransmitter that may play a role in some types of epilepsy.
• grand mal seizures—an older term for tonic-clonic seizures.
• hemispheres—the right and left halves of the brain.
• hippocampus—a brain structure important for memory and learning.
• idiopathic epilepsy—epilepsy with an unknown cause.
• infantile spasms—clusters of seizures that usually begin before the age of 6 months. During these seizures the infant may bend and cry out.
• inhibitory neurotransmitters—nerve signaling chemicals that decrease activity in neurons.
• intractable epilepsy—epilepsy in which a person continues to experience seizures even with the best available treatment.
• ion channels—molecular "gates" that control the flow of ions in and out of cells and regulate neuron signaling.
• juvenile myoclonic epilepsy—a type of epilepsy that usually begins in childhood or adolescence and is characterized by sudden myoclonic jerks.
• ketogenic diet—a strict diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates that causes the body to break down fats instead of carbohydrates to survive.
• kindling—a phenomenon in which a small change in neuronal activity, if it is repeated, may eventually lead to full-blown epilepsy.
• LaFora’s disease—a severe, progressive form of epilepsy that begins in childhood and has been linked to a gene that helps to break down carbohydrates.
• Lennox-Gastaut syndrome—a type of epilepsy that begins in childhood and usually causes several different kinds of seizures.
• lesion—a damaged or dysfunctional part of the brain or other parts of the body.
• lesionectomy—removal of a specific brain lesion.
• lobectomy—removal of a lobe of the brain.
• magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)—a type of brain scan that can detect abnormalities in the brain’s biochemical processes.
• magnetoencephalogram (MEG)—a diagnostic recording technique that detects the magnetic signals generated by neurons to allow doctors to monitor brain activity at different points in the brain over time, revealing different brain functions.
• metabolized—broken down or otherwise transformed by the body.
• monotherapy—treatment with only one antiepileptic drug.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)—a type of brain scan that reveals the structure of the brain; see also functional MRI.
• multiple sub-pial transection—a type of operation in which surgeons make a series of cuts in the brain that are designed to prevent seizures from spreading into other parts of the brain while leaving the person’s normal abilities intact.
• mutation—an abnormality in a gene.
• myoclonic seizures—seizures that cause sudden jerks or twitches, especially in the upper body, arms, or legs.
• near-infrared spectroscopy—a technique that can detect oxygen levels in brain tissue.
• neurocysticercosis—a parasitic infection of the brain that can cause seizures.
• neurotransmitters—nerve signaling chemicals.
• nonconvulsive—any type of seizure that does not include violent muscle contractions.
• nonepileptic events—any phenomena that look like seizures but which do no include seizure activity in the brain. Nonepileptic events may include psychogenic seizures or symptoms of medical disorders such as sleep disorders, Tourette syndrome, or cardiac arrhythmia.
• occipital lobe epilepsy—epilepsy with seizures that originate in the occipital lobe of the brain. It usually begins with visual hallucinations, rapid eye blinking or other eye-related symptoms.
• parietal lobe epilepsy—epilepsy that originates in the parietal lobe of the brain. The symptoms of parietal lobe epilepsy closely resemble those of temporal lobe epilepsy or other syndromes.
• partial seizures—seizures that occur in just one part of the brain.
• PET (positron emission tomography)—a type of brain scan that can be used to monitor the brain’s activity and detect abnormalities in how it works.
• petit mal seizures—an older term for absence seizures.
• photosensitive epilepsy—epilepsy with seizures triggered by flickering or flashing lights. It also may be called photic epilepsy or photogenic epilepsy.
• prednisone—a drug that can be used to treat infantile spasms.
• progressive epilepsy syndromes—epilepsy syndromes in which seizures and/or the person’s cognitive or motor abilities get worse.
• progressive myoclonus epilepsy—a type of epilepsy that has been linked to an abnormality in the gene that codes for a protein called cystatin B. This protein regulates enzymes that break down other proteins.
• pseudoseizure—another term for a non-epileptic event.
• psychogenic seizure—a type of non-epileptic event that is caused by psychological factors.
• psychomotor epilepsy—another term for partial seizures, especially seizures of the temporal lobe. The term psychomotor refers to the unusual sensations, emotions, and behavior seen with these seizures.
• Ramsay Hunt syndrome type II—a type of rare and severe progressive epilepsy that usually begins in early adulthood.
• Rasmussen’s encephalitis—a progressive type of epilepsy in which the focus of epileptic activity expands over time. This type of epilepsy is sometimes treated with hemispherectomy.
• seizure focus—an area of the brain where seizures originate.
• seizure threshold—a term that refers to a person’s susceptibility to seizures.
• seizure triggers—phenomena that trigger seizures in some people. Seizure triggers do not cause epilepsy but can lead to first seizures or cause breakthrough seizures in people who otherwise experience good seizure control with their medication.
• simple partial seizures—seizures that affect only one part of the brain. People experiencing simple partial seizures remain conscious but may experience unusual feelings or sensations.
• SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography)—a type of brain scan sometimes used to locate seizure foci in the brain.
• status epilepticus—a potentially life-threatening condition in which seizures are prolonged or recur before the person can regain consciousness.
• stereotyped—similar every time. In epilepsy this refers to the symptoms an individual person has, and the progression of those symptoms.
• sudden unexplained death—death that occurs suddenly for no discernible reason. Epilepsy increases the risk of sudden explained death about two-fold.
• temporal lobe epilepsy—the most common epilepsy syndrome with partial seizures.
• temporal lobe resection—a type of surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy in which all or part of the affected temporal lobe of the brain is removed.
• tonic seizures—seizures that cause stiffening of muscles of the body, generally those in the back, legs, and arms.
• tonic-clonic seizures—seizures that cause a mixture of symptoms, including loss of consciousness, stiffening of the body, and repeated jerks of the arms and legs. In the past these seizures were sometimes referred to as grand mal seizures.
• transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)—a procedure which uses a strong magnet held outside the head to influence brain activity. This is an experimental treatment for seizures.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke