1. What is epilepsy? What are the different types of epilepsy? Epilepsy is a tendency to have epileptiform seizures, and some of the children who have spasms are epileptic. There can be several types of epilepsy, the most common being generalized tonic-clonic seizures, a type of seizure in which the child loses consciousness and has rhythmic jerking throughout the body. Another type of seizure is an aphasic seizure, which involves a brief loss of consciousness accompanied by blinking or twitching at the corners of the mouth. Aphasic seizures have a very characteristic EEG presentation. Partial seizures occur when an abnormality in a specific area of the brain causes a convulsion. Simple partial seizures do not cause altered consciousness, however, complex partial seizures cause some changes in consciousness. The manifestations and symptoms of epilepsy depend on which part of the brain the epilepsy comes from. For example, a partial seizure from the area of the brain that controls hand movement, such as this, will cause hand twitching. In contrast, a partial seizure from an area of the brain that controls emotions can cause feelings of fear. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between a partial seizure and a disoriented seizure, but they have different EEG presentations. 2. What causes epilepsy in children? Many factors can cause epilepsy. Many people with epilepsy have epileptic seizures in their early years. Any factor that interferes with brain development or brain function can cause epilepsy in children. Some children are deprived of oxygen before or at birth, and this can lead to cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Some children are born prematurely or have brain hemorrhage due to cerebrovascular malformations, which can also cause epilepsy. Epilepsy can also be caused by changes in genetic factors. Some children are born with the “epilepsy gene,” so they can develop epilepsy. These epilepsies can occur early or late in life, and in those who develop them late, they can occur as late as their 30s. Often, genetic factors cause a wide range of epilepsy. This means that epilepsy does not occur in just one specific area of the brain, but affects the entire brain at the same time. Other causes of epilepsy in children include brain tumors, brain infections (encephalitis), head trauma, and problems with the production of chemicals in the body and brain, among others. In all cases, what we must remember is that a child’s brain is more susceptible to epilepsy than an adult’s brain. 3. Is epilepsy bad for children? Epilepsy can be life-threatening, but this is quite rare. Persistent status epilepticus (sustained convulsions for more than 30 minutes) can cause damage to the brain, but this too may be rare. However, uncontrolled epilepsy can lead to a variety of learning and developmental disabilities in children. The goal of treatment for childhood epilepsy is not only to control the seizures, but to advance the child’s potential for brain development. 4. How is epilepsy treated? Most people with epilepsy are treated with relatively simple medications (70-80%). There are many antiepileptic drugs available today. The choice of medication is based on several factors: the type of epilepsy, the age of the child, other clinical problems, and potential side effects of the medication. However, in some patients who do not respond to medications, surgery or other treatment should be considered. 5. What is surgical treatment of epilepsy? Surgical treatment of epilepsy is used to control seizures and recently, there are three main categories: Focal resection: the part of the brain that causes the epilepsy is removed. Corpus callosotomy: The main part of the brain that connects the two sides is cut off, thus reducing some types of seizures. Vagus nerve stimulation: stimulation of the cervical vagus nerve with a tiny metal wire, again this procedure is done to alleviate seizures.