How are Seizures and Epilepsy Different?

How are seizures and epilepsy different? Although both are related to brain health, they are separate functions and responses to brain activity. In the debut and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Tinkers, by Paul Harding, one of the characters compares his seizures to electricity and lightning. The character, Howard, is prompted with the question: “What is it like to be split open from the inside by lightning?” Howard responds, “The actual seizure was when the bolt touched flesh, and in an instant - so atomic, so nearly immaterial, nearly incorporeal, that there was almost no before and after … Howard became pure, unconscious energy.”

The way that neurons, the cells in the brain, communicate is through electricity. When someone has a seizure, there is a burst of electrical activity occurring in the brain, that acts similarly to a short circuit.

Seizure vs. Epilepsy

A seizure is an actual event that’s occurring because of the burst(s) of electrical activity in the brain. These events can manifest as an episode of convulsion, staring, or involuntary movements of one part of the body.

Epilepsy is an ongoing disorder. Specifically, epilepsy is when someone has two or more unprovoked seizures. Unlike seizures that are caused by trauma or stimuli, epileptic seizures usually a random event and unassociated with head trauma or external stimuli such as flashing light.

Another way to diagnose epilepsy is to visit a neurologist after a seizure. An MRI of their brain or an EEG (which looks at the electrical activity in the brain) will let the neurologist know if the patient is at risk for future seizures. If the risk is likely, it’s important to know what type of epilepsy someone has.

Two Forms Of Seizures

Before a neurologist can distinguish which type of epilepsy a patient is at risk for, it’s important to understand the two types of seizures.

• Generalized Seizures

  • A generalized seizure is when a burst of electrical activity occurs throughout the entire brain at the same time.

• Focal Seizures

  • A focal seizure occurs when electrical activity occurs in one particular place in the brain. The localized seizure causes a short circuit in one specific area of the brain.

Two Types of Epilepsy

Once the type of seizure a patient is at risk of is established, the neurologist can then let the patient know which type of epilepsy they’ll be dealing with.

• Generalized Epilepsy

  • Seizures originating from the entire brain.

• Focal Epilepsy

  • Seizures originating from one part of the brain.

The importance of differentiating the two types of epilepsy is important for determining a treatment plan. Some medication works better for focal seizures and others for generalized seizures. Differentiating can also help in deciding whether or not someone is a good candidate for epilepsy surgery.