Seizure

An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain".

What is a Seizure?

Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. In the healthy brain, electrical and chemical signals are fired between nerves called neurons to drive the brain's ability to think, feel and send instructions to parts of the body, such as the muscles. Seizures occur when this electrical system in the brain malfunctions.

Epileptic Seizure Symptoms

Epileptic Seizure Diagnosis

Epileptic Seizure Causes

Epileptic Seizure Management

Latest Seizure News and Research

Early warning signs may help prevent sudden arrhythmic death syndrome

Recognizing and detecting the signs that commonly precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) may help to prevent premature deaths, according to research presented today at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2025, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

4 Apr 2025

Arthritis drug shows promise in halting seizures in mice with epilepsy

A drug typically prescribed for arthritis halts brain-damaging seizures in mice that have a condition like epilepsy, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

25 Mar 2025

Mapping the brain network behind generalized epilepsy

Frederic L.W.V.J. Schaper, MD, PhD, director of Epilepsy Network Mapping at the Center for Brain Circuit Therapeutics at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an instructor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, is the senior author of a paper published in Nature Communications, "A generalized epilepsy network derived from brain abnormalities and deep brain stimulation."

25 Mar 2025

New video-based method enhances detection of infantile spasms syndrome

Shenyang Institute of Computing Technology, CAS and Chinese PLA General Hospital Joint Team conduct series of investigations on Infantile Spasms Syndrome (IESS), also known as West syndrome, discovering a video-based epileptic seizure detection method that effectively enhances the accuracy of infantile spasm identification.

21 Mar 2025

New MRI technology enables life-changing surgery for epilepsy patients

A new technique has enabled ultra-powerful magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to identify tiny differences in patients' brains that cause treatment-resistant epilepsy.

20 Mar 2025

Raman spectroscopy enhances surgical precision for pediatric epilepsy treatment

More than 50 million people worldwide live with epilepsy, with approximately half of them being children. For about one-third of these patients, medications do not control their seizures, leaving surgery as the only viable option for seizure relief.

11 Mar 2025

Fentanyl poisonings among children in the U.S. increase sharply over eight years

Incidents of children in the U.S. being poisoned by the synthetic opioid fentanyl "increased and became more severe", a new study reveals.

8 Mar 2025

AI-powered tool improves the detection of focal cortical dysplasia

Scientists have developed an AI-powered tool that detects 64% of brain abnormalities linked to epilepsy that human radiologists miss.

24 Feb 2025

Social media and peer pressure fueling dangerous drug misuse

Social media trends and peer pressure can be a dangerous combination to your children and their friends, especially when involving misusing medicines.

22 Feb 2025

Study focuses on diagnostic delays experienced by people with epilepsy

Any patient suffering from new or worsening medical symptoms hopes for a relatively quick and accurate diagnosis.

20 Feb 2025

Gene therapy breakthrough offers hope for severe Dravet syndrome cases

AAV-Navβ1 gene therapy effectively reduces seizures and prolongs life in a mouse model of SCN1B-linked Dravet syndrome, paving the way for future treatments.

18 Feb 2025

Breakthrough discovery reveals key role of ovoid cells in object recognition memory

Take a look around your home and you'll find yourself surrounded by familiar comforts-photos of family and friends on the wall, well-worn sneakers by the door, a shelf adorned with travel mementos.

13 Feb 2025

Study identifies brain regions for speech production in aphasia patients

Imagine seeing a furry, four-legged animal that meows. Mentally, you know what it is, but the word "cat" is stuck on the tip of your tongue.

13 Feb 2025

UCLA team identifies brain rhythms linked to seizures in Alzheimer's

A UCLA Health research team has identified changes in brain rhythms that indicate seizure activity in Alzheimer's patients.

13 Feb 2025

Rapid blood test could identify brain bleeds from clot-caused strokes

A blood test may rapidly distinguish brain bleeds from clot-caused strokes, even before people with stroke symptoms reach the emergency room, according to a preliminary study to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2025.

30 Jan 2025

Study unveils critical insights in understanding post-traumatic epilepsy

A new international study has unveiled critical insights in understanding post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), a condition that can develop following traumatic brain injury. Led by researchers at FutureNeuro, the Research Ireland Centre for Translational Brain Science and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and published in Theranostics, the study highlights the important role played by a receptor in the brain called P2X7.

27 Jan 2025

As states diverge on immigration, hospitals say they won’t turn patients away

California is advising health care providers not to write down patients' immigration status on bills and medical records and telling them they don't have to assist federal agents in arrests.

23 Jan 2025

Climate change is fueling a neurological health crisis, experts warn

Research explores the profound impact of climate change on neurological health, focusing on how rising temperatures, extreme weather, and air pollution exacerbate conditions like epilepsy, stroke, and sleep disorders, while calling for urgent research and mitigation strategies to address these vulnerabilities.

21 Jan 2025

Prolonged sauna exposure without adequate hydration linked to heat stroke risk

Basking too long in a sauna may put bathers at risk of heat stroke, particularly if they haven't drunk enough water beforehand, warn doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports, after treating a woman whose condition required admission to hospital.

7 Jan 2025