Lou Gehrigs Disease

Epilepsy Approximately 1.4 to 2.7 million people across the United States experience one of many seizure disorders. Epilepsy stems from the nervous system and is considered a disorder of the brain which is characterized by brief, intermittent disturbances in the normal electrical functions of the brain resulting in seizures. For the brain to function properly, a balance between excitation and inhibition must be present. Epilepsy can result from a birth defect, infection of the brain, brain tumor, or a spontaneous head injury. The cause is unknown for 50% of all cases. Epilepsy can occur at any age but is most commonly seen in small children and the elderly. Epilepsy is not a disability or mental illness however; childhood epilepsy is sometimes associated with below average intelligence as well as physical or mental developmental problems. Seizures may look strange or scary; however they do not deem a person crazy, dangerous or violent. While some individuals stare blankly for a second or two when a seizure occurs, others experience convulsions. Abnormal electrical impulses in certain groups of nerve cells as well as certain groups of chemicals that regulate electrical impulses in the brain cause epileptic seizures. The only visible symptoms of epilepsy are seizures. Doctors don't think epilepsy is hereditary but the cause is still unknown. Communication in the brain begins with neurons firing electrical signals that are passed from cell to cell. This pattern of electrical signals demonstrates how active the brain is at any given time. The location of each signal specifies such activity as controlling muscle movement, feeling, thinking, seeing, and hearing. Epilepsy causes disruption in these normal electrical signals with a disturbance in the firing pattern. This abnormal and very intense disturbance can affect an isolated area of the brain or in more severe cases, affect the brain in
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