Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder in which a patient has recurrent seizures throughout their life. The seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity of certain cells in the brain. The ongoing threat and presence of seizures not only robs its victims of living a normal life, but also inflicts a social stigma of reduced intelligence or mental illness on them.

Approximately two million people in the United States are afflicted with epilepsy, a disease that is poorly understood. Although incidental seizures occur with a greater frequency, the percentage of people suffering from reocurring seizures due to epilepsy is relatively small, about 1% of the population.

Medications are available that will reduce the frequency and severity of seizures in many patients. However, there is no cure for epilepsy yet. More than 60% of people with epilepsy are able to control their seizures using medications.

Patients whose seizures cannot be controlled by medication are referred to as patients with intractable seizures. Surgery may be considered for patients who have seizures that affect their quality of life or whose seizures are localized to a small part of the brain. The goal of this surgery is to remove the part of the brain that is causing the seizures. For the patients that qualify, surgery may be the only option in order for them to resume normal activities.

Accurate localization of the focus of the seizure activity is critically important for surgical treatment - and PET scanning can help.