Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder the most frequent one in two hundred is affected by this disease. A disease means anxiety for patients fearing the onset of a crisis. Anytime. Anywhere. And beyond the physical repercussions, fear of exclusion, epilepsy has become a real social disease that tends to marginalize those who are victims of school until the end of their life.
Children main victims
When discussing epilepsy, we should rather talk about epilepsy, both the diseases are different, both the prognosis and treatment modalities are different. If children are affected first, most are fortunately benign epilepsy in children. The maximum rate of the disease is between 0 and 1 year and remains very important to 10 years. It then gradually decreases to remain at low levels between 30 and 50 years and back dramatically after age 75.
It is estimated that the average lifespan of epilepsy is 12 to 15 years. Some minor forms always recover while others never experience spontaneous remission.
It is actually four different types of epilepsy:
- The spontaneous benign epilepsy (20 to 30% of cases). Patients respond well to medical treatment that can stop after a few years;
- Epilepsy pharmacosensible (30 to 40% of cases). The remission under treatment is permanent and it is possible to consider stopping the medication;
- Epilepsy addicted (10 to 20% of cases). Stopping treatment leads to relapse systematic;
- Epilepsy drug (20% of cases). This severe form of epilepsy resistant to all drug treatments. At the individual level, this form of epilepsy is a major handicap to the socio-professional often major.
While neurological examination does not stress any peculiarity in the first three forms of the disease, it is mostly unusual for drug-resistant patients. It was then that surgery can sometimes be considered.
Advances in surgery
The severe epilepsy resistant to medication is a real handicap for patients. Over 80 000 people in France are concerned. For many, surgery may be synonymous with healing. Lack of equipment, lack of resources, the operation is to perform an ablation zone of the brain known as the “seizure” is still practiced by a limited number of teams. However, it should be able to act quickly. From childhood, even when brain plasticity is still important. “But now 200 to 300 patients are operated every year”, said Dr. Dominique Broglin, while about 50 000 people are potential candidates for intervention.
Tags: brain, children, disease, Epilepsy, heal, medication, seizure, surgery, treatment, victim
