Home > Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders > Epilepsy

Definition

The words "epilepsy" and "epileptic" are of Greek origin and have the same root as the verb "epilambanein," which means "to seize" or "to attack." Therefore, epilepsy means seizure, while epileptic means seized. In the modern understanding of epilepsy, it should not be considered a disease. Rather, it is a symptom indicating a medical condition in the brain that causes a potential for recurrent seizures. The condition of epilepsy has many causes and the kinds of seizures that occur can vary widely.

Description

The word epilepsy is actually a descriptive term. It takes into account an individual's risk of recurrent seizures. However, when people are suffering from meningitis and have a seizure, they would not be considered to have epilepsy unless they had a seizure after the meningitis resolved. In this case, these...