Early reports on epilepsy go back to ancient Assyrian and Babylonian texts. It has a fascinating history that scans a period of almost 4000 years. At that time the Babylonians had no concept of pathology, thus epilepsy and the seizures that are often times associated with it were treated as spiritual and not medical. It wasn't until the 18th and 19th century, when medicine made important advances, that religious superstition emancipated the fact that epilepsy was a medical condition.
The word "epilepsy" is derived from Latin and Greek words for "seizure" or "to seize upon" , which leads to the implication that epilepsy is an ancient disorder. In fact, as far back as medical records exist, epilepsy can be traced in all civilizations. Epilepsy …show more content…
This type of epilepsy is called cryptogenic or idiopathic. In a recent global study respondents were asked to provide the five most frequently encountered causes of epilepsy. Idiopathic epilepsy was mentioned as one of the five most common aetiologies of epilepsy by 54.4% of the responding countries. Of the responding countries, trauma was the most frequently reported etiology of epilepsy by 92%. Central nervous system infections, including but not limited to bacterial meningitis but excluding parasitic infestations, antenatal and perinatal risk factors and cerebrovascular disorders were among the most frequently reported etiology of epilepsy by 60.4%, 57.7% and 55% of the responding countries. Other salient findings report tumors, congenital defects(27.5%), parasitic infections (22.1%), exogenous chemicals including alcohol and drugs (13.4%), cryptogenic (9.4%), degenerative disorders (8.7%, febrile convulsions (7.4%) and cerebral palsy (2.7%). (Reynolds 2005)Aetiologies of epilepsy as reported by respondents are a rough estimate, data was not collected and calculated using stringent epidemiological research methods. The information is based on the experience and impression of a key person in a country working in the area of epilepsy and not necessarily on actual data from responding …show more content…
Until that time treatment of epilepsy mostly consisted of herbal and chemical substances. In 1857, Sir Locock (1799-1875) discovered the anticonvulsant and sedative traits of potassium bromide and began treating his patients. From that point, potassium bromide became a choice treatment for humans with epileptic seizures and nervous disorders until the 1912 discovery of phenobarbital. Phenobarbital was introduced in the therapy of epilepsy by Hauptmann (1881-1948), a German physician. (Magiorkinis, E., Diamantis, A., Sidiropoulou K., & Panteliadis, C
The word "epilepsy" is derived from Latin and Greek words for "seizure" or "to seize upon" , which leads to the implication that epilepsy is an ancient disorder. In fact, as far back as medical records exist, epilepsy can be traced in all civilizations. Epilepsy …show more content…
This type of epilepsy is called cryptogenic or idiopathic. In a recent global study respondents were asked to provide the five most frequently encountered causes of epilepsy. Idiopathic epilepsy was mentioned as one of the five most common aetiologies of epilepsy by 54.4% of the responding countries. Of the responding countries, trauma was the most frequently reported etiology of epilepsy by 92%. Central nervous system infections, including but not limited to bacterial meningitis but excluding parasitic infestations, antenatal and perinatal risk factors and cerebrovascular disorders were among the most frequently reported etiology of epilepsy by 60.4%, 57.7% and 55% of the responding countries. Other salient findings report tumors, congenital defects(27.5%), parasitic infections (22.1%), exogenous chemicals including alcohol and drugs (13.4%), cryptogenic (9.4%), degenerative disorders (8.7%, febrile convulsions (7.4%) and cerebral palsy (2.7%). (Reynolds 2005)Aetiologies of epilepsy as reported by respondents are a rough estimate, data was not collected and calculated using stringent epidemiological research methods. The information is based on the experience and impression of a key person in a country working in the area of epilepsy and not necessarily on actual data from responding …show more content…
Until that time treatment of epilepsy mostly consisted of herbal and chemical substances. In 1857, Sir Locock (1799-1875) discovered the anticonvulsant and sedative traits of potassium bromide and began treating his patients. From that point, potassium bromide became a choice treatment for humans with epileptic seizures and nervous disorders until the 1912 discovery of phenobarbital. Phenobarbital was introduced in the therapy of epilepsy by Hauptmann (1881-1948), a German physician. (Magiorkinis, E., Diamantis, A., Sidiropoulou K., & Panteliadis, C