Epilepsy Facts

Historically, epilepsy has been neglected, feared and misunderstood. A veil of secrecy surrounding the disease has resulted in myths, superstitions, and a general lack of knowledge. This has impeded scientific progress toward finding answers to one of the oldest known and most prevalent neurological diseases, leaving treatment and research efforts in the dark ages.

It is estimated that close to 2 of the 3 million Americans with epilepsy do not have complete seizure control or only experience seizure control at the cost of debilitating side effects from medications. The need for a CURE is clear.

Many of the patients are children, who can experience up to hundreds of seizures per day. The impact on the developing brain ranges from learning disabilities to retardation, and in a disturbingly large number of patients, even death.

There is an increasingly large incidence of new onset epilepsy in the aging population as a result of strokes, brain tumors, and Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, for many soldiers suffering traumatic brain injury on the battlefield, epilepsy will be a long-term consequence.

What is a seizure?

In a normal brain function, millions of tiny electrical charges pass from nerve cells in the brain to the rest of the body. A seizure occurs when the normal pattern is interrupted by sudden and unusually intense bursts of electrical energy which may cause strange sensations, emotions, behaviors or convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. These unusual bursts are called seizures.

When is it epilepsy?

When a person has had two or more seizures which have not been provoked by specific events such as trauma, infection, fever, or chemical change, he or she is considered to have epilepsy.

What causes epilepsy?

Epilepsy may develop because of an abnormality in brain wiring, an imbalance of nerve signaling chemicals (neurotransmitters), or a combination of these factors. Causes of epilepsy may include head injuries, brain tumors, lead poisoning, certain genetic diseases and some infectious diseases. However, in more than half the patients with epilepsy, the cause is still unknown.

Historically, epilepsy research has been under-funded. The picture becomes clearer when federal dollars spent per patient on research are compared with other diseases, many of which affect fewer people.

• Epilepsy affects over 3 million Americans of all ages – more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease combined. Almost 500 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every day in the United States. Epilepsy affects 50 million people worldwide.
• In two-thirds of patients diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is unknown.
• Epilepsy can develop at any age and can be a result of genetics, stroke, head injury, and many other factors.
• In over thirty percent of patients, seizures cannot be controlled with treatment. Uncontrolled seizures may lead to brain damage and death. Many more have only partial control of their seizures.
• The severe epilepsy syndromes of childhood can cause developmental delay and brain damage, leading to a lifetime of dependency and continually accruing costs – both medical and societal.
• It is estimated that up to 50,000 deaths occur annually in the U.S. from status epilepticus (prolonged seizures), Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), and other seizure-related causes such as drowning and other accidents.
• The mortality rate among people with epilepsy is two to three times higher than the general population and the risk of sudden death is twenty-four times greater.
• Recurring seizures are also a burden for those living with brain tumors and other disorders such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tuberous sclerosis, and a variety of genetic syndromes.
• There is a strong association between epilepsy and depression; more than one of every three persons with epilepsy will also be affected by depression, and people with a history of depression have a higher risk of developing epilepsy.
• Historically, epilepsy research has been under-funded. Federal dollars spent on research pale in comparison to those spent on other diseases, many of which affect fewer people than those with epilepsy.
• For many soldiers suffering traumatic brain injury on the battlefield, epilepsy will be a long-term consequence.