Epilepsy: Types, Symptoms, Causes & PET CT as Diagnostic Tool

Epilepsy is the condition related to brain in which nerves don’t get signals properly and causes seizures. Seizures are related to the uncontrolled bursts of electric signals that causes change in sensation, behaviors, awareness and muscle movements. There is not any particular cure for the disease but this condition can be managed with medications. Around 70% of the people suffering from this condition manage it by medications. There is not any specific cause for the epilepsy in about 70% causes and  in other cases causes include genetics, Mesial temporal sclerosis, head injuries, brain infections, immune disorders, metabolic disorders etc. There are various symptoms related to the condition and these include temporary loss of memory, uncontrolled muscle movements, changes in hearing, blank stare etc. Detection of the condition is important to manage the disease and also know the severity of the disease. There are various tests used for the detection of the epilepsy and these include Electroencephalography (EEG), Brain MRI, genetic testing, PET CT, ECG. Early detection of the disease is important for the management and cure. PET CT is an effective diagnostic tool in detecting the epilepsy and help to manage the disease early.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is the chronic disease, which occurs due to repeated seizures due to abnormal electric signals produced by damaged brain cells. In this condition brain electric signals bursts and causes seizures. These seizures include change in sensations, emotional behavior, muscle control (jerks). This condition is also known as seizure disorder. Epilepsy can affect any gender, age, race, sex. There are around 65 million people suffering from this chronic disease. Epilepsy causes disruption in the rhythmic electric impulse patterns and causes the abrupt bursts of electric signals. This electric disruption changes the behavior of the brain, its sensations, emotions etc.

What are the different types of Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is classified by seizure type and these are based on where they start in the brain. There are 2 main types of seizure groups:

• Focal onset seizures
• Focal onset aware seizure
• Focal onset impaired awareness seizure
• Generalized onset seizures 
• Absence seizures
• Atonic seizures
• Tonic seizures
• Clonic seizures
• Tonic-clonic seizures
• Myoclonic seizures

What are the symptoms of Epilepsy?

There are various symptoms which are related to Epilepsy. The symptoms varies based on the severity of the condition, here are some of the symptoms:

• Temporary loss of awareness
• Uncontrolled muscle movements
• Temporary confusion 
• Blank stare
• Problem in talking
• Upset stomach
• Lip smacking, chewing motion
• Faster heart rate
• Psychic symptoms
• Memory loss of the patient and forgets

What are the causes of Epilepsy?

In most of the causes (70%), the causes of the epilepsy are not known. The other known causes of epilepsy are:

• Genetics
• Mesial temporal sclerosis
• Head injuries
• Brain infections
• Immune disorders
• Developmental disorders
• Metabolic disorders
• Brain conditions and brain vessel abnormalities

What conditions does PET CT scan detect in the Epilepsy?

PET CT diagnostic tool can detect various conditions in Epilepsy and these include:

• Helps to identify the Epileptogenic Focus
• Helps in Assessing Brain Metabolism
• Helps to Differentiate Epilepsy from Other Conditions
• Helps to Evaluating Treatment Response

What are the different types of tests used for the detection of Epilepsy other than PET CT scan?

There are various tests used for the detection of Epilepsy other than PET CT scan. These include:

• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Brain MRI
• Brain CT
• Functional MRI (fMRI)
• Blood tests
• Lumbar puncture
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Magnetoencephalography (MEG)
• Genetic Testing

Conclusion

Epilepsy is the chronic disease, which occurs due to repeated seizures due to abnormal electric signals produced by damaged brain cells. In this condition brain electric signals bursts and causes seizures. These seizures include change in sensations, emotional behavior, muscle control (jerks). Around 70% of epilepsy causes have unknown causes and rest have genetics, head injuries, brain disorders etc. Various symptoms of epilepsy include Temporary loss of awareness, uncontrolled muscle movements, Temporary confusion, Blank stare, Problem in talking etc. There are various tests used for the detection of the epilepsy and early detection is helpful in managing the disease.  PET CT is used for the detection of epilepsy; it is the advanced procedure that helps fore easy and early detection of condition.