Abstract
Epilepsy is a complex syndrome comprised of seizures and associated comorbidities affecting approximately 50 million people worldwide. The disease is characterized by excessive electrical discharges in hyperexcitable neuronal clusters that result in spontaneous and recurrent seizures. The seizures may be subclinical and thus only apparent on an electroencephalogram (EEG), but more often they fit into two clinical classifications: partial and generalized. Partial seizures have a focused origin in the brain, and, therefore, seizure symptoms may present in a localized manner. Generalized seizures lack a focal origin and instead involve the entire brain. Epileptic seizures can range from altered states of consciousness to those involving motor function with clonic and/or tonic components.
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Plinke, W., Boison, D. (2014). Epilepsy. In: Lammert, E., Zeeb, M. (eds) Metabolism of Human Diseases. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0715-7_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-0715-7_5
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