Epilepsy

The X-Plain Tutorial , a project of the Patient Education Institute and the National Library of Medicine, explains the brain’s function, what a seizure is, epilepsy’s causes, treatments, and living with epilepsy. A PDF version is also available.

Epilepsy.com is a site founded by a doctor and a man whose daughter has epilepsy, with an editorial board comprised of doctors from around the country. Look for extensive resources, such as this three-minute audio cast that describes part of the brain’s anatomy, seizures, and how they differ from epilepsy.

KidsHealth describes epilepsy and its causes. Read about the triggers that can cause seizures, such as stress, sleep deprivation, and fever.

Neurology Channel is part of Healthcommunities.com, a series of sites monitored by doctors. Explore some of the causes of seizures and epilepsy. Learn how head injuries, genetics, kidney problems, and withdrawing from some drugs (both lawful and illicit) can cause seizures.

The Epilepsy Foundation explains that in many cases, the exact cause of epilepsy can’t be pinpointed. Find epilepsy’s potential causes among members of the following groups: newborns, infants and children, children and adults, and the elderly.

Mayo Clinic describes different types of partial seizures, which affect part of the brain, and generalized seizures, which involve more than one part of the brain.

Epilepsy.com has detailed descriptions of the types of epilepsy, listed on the left sidebar. Also find information on the types of seizures and their symptoms.

The Epilepsy Foundation describes a range of impacts the disease can have on people’s lives, from “uncomplicated” to “devastated.” Get a glimpse of the kinds of issues that could arise while trying to treat epilepsy, such as memory loss or side effects from high doses of medication.

The World Health Organization has a brief history of epilepsy, which dates as far back as 2000 BCE. Read how Babylonian medical literature from that period actually discusses different types of seizures that are seen in the modern era, and learn why the 19th Century is so important in the history of the disease. Unfortunately, the history of epilepsy is also one of misunderstanding, stigma, and fear. In the 1800s, medical research led to theories that epilepsy was a brain disorder, and not a form of madness or possession, as was long believed. The first useful medication for epilepsy, bromide, was introduced in 1857.

The Epilepsy Foundation describes the kinds of tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging, that are used for diagnosis, and what patients can expect during the exams.

Mayo Clinic offers an overview of treatment options: medication, surgery, vagus nerve stimulation, and a ketogenic diet for children. Read a neurologist’s answer to a question about taking medication for epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Foundation offers a variety of articles about epilepsy medications. Look for topics such as “A Brief History of Antiepileptic Medicines,” “Finding the Right Medicine,” and “The Importance of Treatment Compliance.”

The Cleveland Clinic Web site describes corpus callosotomy, a procedure in which a surgeon severs the fiber bundle that connects the brain’s hemispheres. According to the article, this surgery doesn’t stop seizures from occurring, but it does confine them to one hemisphere. Find out who qualifies for this surgery, as well as its risks, side effects, and effectiveness.

MedlinePlus has an hour-long video of surgeons in Tennessee performing vagus nerve stimulation therapy on a nine-year-old child.

ClinicalTrials.gov , a clearinghouse operated by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, provides a list of research clinical trials currently underway to test experimental treatments for epilepsy. To learn more about clinical trials, speak to your doctor, and read the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guide.

Epilepsy.com has an extensive section dedicated to living with the condition. Look for topics such as safety while driving and sleeping, and seizure-alert dogs. Visit the “First Aid Section” to read about several scenarios, such as seizures on planes or in the water, and what someone should do to help a person who just had a seizure. Find specialized information for women, seniors, children, and families, and a seizure preparedness section.

The Epilepsy Foundation also examines a number of aspects of life with the condition. See the “Employment” section to learn how courts have recognized epilepsy as a disability, and find out about the accommodations that have been made in workplaces for people with epilepsy. In the “Dating & Marriage” section, find advice for when to disclose your epilepsy to a potential partner. Check out the “Transportation” area for air travel and driving laws, and find tips for getting around town.

The Epilepsy Foundation has a page that addresses questions about playing sports, feeling depressed, going to college, and playing video games while having epilepsy. Browse a question and answer page for teenage girls that addresses seizures after a girl has started her period, and other concerns. Read an article about driving to discover that people who have gone for a certain period without a seizure (the amount of time varies by state) can get a driver’s license.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has a question and answer piece about having epilepsy and becoming pregnant. Learn if there are risks to you or your baby, and what you can do to protect yourself and your baby. Pregnancy affects epilepsy differently in every woman, and there could be a higher risk for complications, but “more than 90% of women who have epilepsy have normal, healthy babies,” according to the academy.

The Epilepsy Foundation offers parents advice about home life. Learn how to handle discipline issues, how to inform other family members, and how to build your child’s self esteem. Don’t miss the article on “Your Child at School,” to find ways to help make sure your child has a normal and accepting school experience.

Coping With Epilepsy is a series of forums that require free registration to post messages: “The Loft” is a place for teenagers, and “Riva’s Memorial” is a forum for remembering those who have died from seizure-related disorders. There is also a blog about a mother who was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 8.

The Epilepsy Foundation has a “Teens & Epilepsy” forum. Look for threads about medication, exercise, college, making friends, and headaches.

Epilepsy.com has a list of hundreds of blogs by people with epilepsy and their family members. Many don’t seem to be updated regularly but some, including a mother’s blog about her daughter, a man’s blog about his epilepsy, a teen’s blog, and a mother’s blog about her own epilepsy, are more up to date.

E. is for Epilepsy is written by a California woman who was diagnosed with epilepsy more than 50 years ago. She encourages epilepsy education to remove any stigma associated with the condition.

Epilepsy in a Nutshell is written by a University of Toronto graduate student whose Ph.D. thesis is on the ketogenic diet. Read his posts for discussions of new medications, sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP), and advocacy events.

The Diary of a New Mum with Epilepsy is about a woman with epilepsy who lives in Great Britain with her husband and infant. Read about her experience with epilepsy during her pregnancy and motherhood.

Epilepsytalk is a listserv run by Parents Against Childhood Epilepsy, Inc. Listservs are email groups in which a person sends an email to one address, and it is distributed simultaneously to that list’s subscribers. Join the listserv for free and then browse the email archives, too.

CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy) Epilepsy , a nonprofit research organization, has inspiring stories about children and adults with epilepsy. Don’t miss the organization’s nine videos about the effects of epilepsy.

Epilepsy in Young Children hosts nearly 2,000 stories about children with epilepsy. The site’s organizer, a New Hampshire father whose daughter has epilepsy, says this site is designed to help parents realize they aren’t alone, and warns that the stories told aren’t meant as medical advice. Join an email discussion group or browse the most recent epilepsy stories.

The Epilepsy Foundation has a list of Epilepsy Foundation affiliates around the country. Look at the top left-side of the page, in the box that says “Community Connections.” Some states have only one affiliate, or none at all, and others have a few. The programs offered by the affiliates vary, but could include children’s camps, support groups, public education, and independent living opportunities.

ScienceDaily publishes news articles in science, technology, and medicine. Don’t miss the site’s epilepsy page for headlines and pictures that are updated continually.

Topix is a news aggregator that pulls together epilepsy-related stories from news outlets across the Web. Look for links to articles on the results of current research and fundraising efforts, among many other topics.

PubMed Central , a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, is a repository of biomedical and life sciences journal articles. Search for articles by topic, journal title, or author using the search tool at the top of the page. Once you’ve searched a topic, use a tab under the display options to read articles that are free to access. Prefer to have new articles sent to your e-mail box? Create customized updates based on your searches and have them sent directly to you.