Epilepsy, the Brain, and How the PET Scan is
used to Diagnose
by Stephen A. Dewese at St. Phillips College
Abstract
The purpose of this research paper is to better
understand neurological disease, epilepsy. I will
discuss just how serious this syndrome is. The fist
section will cover the disease: some causes, statistics
regarding epilepsy, and the types of seizures
associated. We also cover the anatomy responsible
for initiating the attacks. To close I will discuss a
few medical devices clinicians use to diagnose the
disease, and the process of a PET scan. Epilepsy, the
Brain, and How the PET Scan is used to Diagnose
“Epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder
worldwide. It has no age, racial, social class, or
geographic boundary.” World Health Organization
(WHO) In America, Epilepsy is as common as
Breast Cancer and takes as many lives. This disease
affects an estimated fifty million people worldwide.
(Shafer 2014) Epilepsy is a neurological disorder
consisting of recurrent seizures that are a result of
excessive, uncontrolled electrical activity in the
brain. Approximately ten percent of people will
have a seizure in their lifetime, but not all people
that have seizures have Epilepsy. (Seizures 2013) I
will discuss epilepsy the seizures associated with
this disorder, the anatomy involved, and the medical
devices used to diagnose.
There are two types of seizures provoked (nonepileptic) and unprovoked (epileptic). (Mayo 2013)
A provoked seizure may occur when there is a root
cause, for instance an infection in the brain, alcohol
detox, and head trauma, along with many other
examples. Although your chances of developing
epilepsy does increase if you were to have a
provoked seizure around forty to fifty percent, we
will be focusing more on the unprovoked type. (Berg
2008) The unprovoked seizure occurs when there is
no outside influence that can be determined.
Epilepsy is characterized as having a long-term risk
to experience numerous unprovoked seizures. (Coila
2010)
Seizures have three parts: an Aura (the beginning),
an Ictal phase (the middle), and the Postictal phase
(the ending). Although all seizures have all three
phases in some cases the parts of the seizure can be
indistinguishable. The Aura is marked by the first
symptom of a seizure for instance a change in
feeling, sensation, or thought this will be similar
each time a person has a seizure. The Ictal phase is
the period of time from the first symptom to the
ending, this is the time the brain produces the excess
brain activity. This is the point in the seizure that a
person may have loss of consciousness, convulsions,
or memory lapse. The postictal phase is the recovery
period. This period can be a few moments to few
hours based on the severity of the seizure. This
period varies greatly the person could be scared,
confused, embarrassed, and even sleepy. (Schachter
2014)
Diagnosing this disease is tricky using a series of
classifications and diagnostic devices this can be
accomplished. Seizures are classified into two major
groups based on the type of behavior exhibited
during the seizure, and brain activity. These two
classes we will discuss are general and partial.
General seizures are produced by electrical impulses
throughout the brain, partial seizures as the name
implies originate in a small area of the brain. These
two groups seizures are then broke up into types of
seizures six types for general and three types for
partial depending upon the affects they have on the
body. Seizures differ greatly from person to person
many people lose consciousness and shake violently
or could be as mild as a slight tremor of the hand.
(Senelick 2014)