Before I went to the Epilepsy Awareness event, I had a minimal knowledge of it. All I know was that when children diagnosed with this were prone to seizures and sensitive to certain events such as loud noises or intense physical pain. After this event though, I have gained such a more understanding of this topic, reading neurosurgery research and brain books, gaining a much greater insight into epilepsy and neuroscience as a whole. What I am here to discuss is my research that covers Epilepsy treatments and how Neurosurgery can help with these treatments and epilepsy as a whole.
Causes of Epilepsy should, foremost, be discussed first. In general, epilepsy, or seizures, are classified as sudden electric shock-bursts in the brain, leading to these patients having seizures or fits, where patients can suddenly not respond to anything, and certain physical traits are noticeable, such as eyes convulsing or arms and legs shaking vigorously. Though not all seizures are quite dramatic, as some patients can just stare blankly or slightly twitch. Many people can see these as just normal behaviors, so when these patients inform others, people do not usually believe them, which reminds me of how genuinely misunderstood and isolating this condition is. Epilepsy can also be caused due to other factors, like genetic disorders, infections like meningitis and brain malformations. Seizures can either be on one part of the brain, focal, or on both sides, generalized. Medication can help reduce seizures as a whole, though people who take medication can have balance/speech issues, evident that epilepsy can affect long-term development.
The second topic of this paper is treatments to epilepsy.
- Medication; Usually anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) such as Sodium valproate, carbamazepine, levetiracetam. They usually help reduce seizures but can cause side effects such as noticeable tiredness or unusual mood changes.
- Surgery; this is for children whose seizures don’t respond to medicine, surgery is usually the second option. The most common form of neurosurgery for this is a “hemispherectomy”, where they disconnect and remove one brain hemisphere. This sounds quite extreme and fatal, but this neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt, especially with early rehab.
- Therapy; while this isn’t essentially a ‘treatment method’, this evidently helps the patients mentally and physically. The three most prominent forms of physiotherapy used to heal an epileptic patient are “Physiotherapy; helps with movement and muscle strength”, “diet therapists, people who help with diets, such as keto (this diet with high fat is shown to reduce seizures in certain patients),” and “occupational therapy, which supports daily functioning”
Neurosurgery also plays an important role in managing severe/drug-resistant epilepsy. When seizures start or originate from a certain area of the brain which can be able to be safely removed, such as a small legion or a scar, ‘focal resective surgery’ is permitted to be performed. In some more complex cases, where one hemisphere can cause all seizure activity, a functional disconnection may be vital, and these procedures are evidently more effective when done earlier, taking advantage of the brain’s plasticity, especially in children.
In conclusion, epilepsy affects more than just the brain, it shapes our daily life, education, emotions and our surroundings. With early diagnosis, medication and therapy, most people can live completely fulfilling lives. Seeing clinicians work closely with families reminded me that treatment is about people, not prescriptions. I think my time at the Epilepsy Awareness event really showed me that.
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