Research Area: Machine Learning
The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) have come to consensus definitions for the terms epileptic seizure and epilepsy. An epileptic seizure is a transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures and by the neurobiologic, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this condition. The definition of epilepsy requires the occurrence of at least one epileptic seizure. Epilepsy is the name of a brain disorder characterized predominantly by recurrent and unpredictable interruptions of normal brain function, called epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is not a singular disease entity but a variety of disorders reflecting underlying brain dysfunction that may result from many different causes. Little common agreement exists on the definition of the terms seizure and epilepsy. Such definitions are important for communication among medical professionals and also for communication others involved in legislation, disability pensions, driving regulations, workplace safety, education, and for many other purposes. The definitions in this article are directed to a diverse group of physicians, educators, researchers, public officials, and people with epilepsy and their families. The current proposal reflects consensus discussions held by representatives of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy. It presents practical and operational definitions applicable both in medical and nonmedical settings. Although the definitions have been formulated in English because of the prevalence of English in scientific communications, the intent is to express the essential features and meaning of these terms in a way applicable to translations into all languages. Preliminary definitions of epileptic seizure and epilepsy can be found in the ILAE 2001 Glossary of Descriptive Terminology for Ictal Semiology (1), and in a commonly cited epidemiologic review from 1991 (2). The current work is an expansion of the two central terms and should be considered to supersede the prior definitions.
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Author(s) Name: Robert S. Fisher,Walter van Emde Boas,Warren Blume,Christian Elger,Pierre Genton,Phillip Lee,Jerome Engel Jr.
Journal name: Epilepsia
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Publisher name: Wiley
DOI: 10.1111/j.0013-9580.2005.66104.x
Volume Information: Volume46, Issue4
