Abstract
Epilepsy was described by Hughlings Jackson in 1886 as involving ‘sudden, excessive, rapid and local discharges of the grey matter’ of the brain. This simple definition remains a useful summary of the phenomenon. Epilepsy is relatively common. In both the UK and the USA, studies suggest that five out of each thousand people will suffer from the condition. The incidence is highest in childhood and lowest in middle life. It has been estimated that approximately 5% of the population will have at least one seizure at some time in their life.
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Dierckx, R.A., Vandevivere, J., Melis, K. et al. (1992) Single photon emission computed tomography using perfusion tracers in seizure disorders. Epilepsy Res., 12, 131–9.
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Ring, H.A. (1998). Epilepsy. In: Maisey, M.N., Britton, K.E., Collier, B.D. (eds) Clinical Nuclear Medicine. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3356-0_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3356-0_22
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