WHAT IS EPILEPSY AND WHAT CAUSES IT?
The word epilepsy derives from the Greek epilambanein, meaning ‘to seize’.
It is a condition characterised by seizures which involve episodic, abnormal activity in nerve cells in the brain.
Epilepsy always involves seizures but the types and symptoms differ. When people have convulsive seizures, the body stiffens and shakes. With more subtle seizures, people may lose awareness for short periods of time.
As we get older, epilepsy becomes more common. It’s the third most common neurological disorder in people aged over 65, after stroke and dementia.
1 in 20 people will have a seizure at some point in their life. Around 1 in 130 people will develop epilepsy.
The genetic causes of epilepsy
Genetics may be causally linked to some types of epilepsy. Understanding the mechanisms is key to developing targeted new treatments.
To tackle this, researchers Oxford contributed heavily to the 100,000 genomes project during the 2010s. The project improved our understanding of conditions such as Otahara syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. It also improved our understanding of brain malformations in people experiencing seizures.
Read more on the University of Oxford website and read Solving epilepsy through a global, community-first approach with Professor Arjune Sen.