AEDs
Antiepileptic drugs that are used to control and prevent seizures.
Anticonvulsant drugs
See AEDs.
Aura
A sensation that happens before a seizure - a strange taste or striking smell, a sound, or lightheadedness. It may act as a warning sign but is not always followed by a full-scale seizure.
Computerized tomography (CT scan)
A computerized test that shows the relationships of different parts of the brain in order to detect the cause of epilepsy.
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
A test that records and indirectly measures the brain's electrical activity (brain waves) on the skin's surface. An important tool for the detection and diagnosis of epilepsy.
Electrode
A small instrument that is usually attached to the scalp in order to record the brain's electrical activity.
Epileptologist
A neurologist who specializes in epilepsy.
Invasive
A procedure that cuts or punctures the skin or inserts an instrument for diagnostic purposes.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A scanning test that uses a powerful magnet to look inside the body. The images show abnormalities in the brain and other areas of the body.
Neurology
The specific study of the nervous system, brain and spine.
Positron emission tomography (PET)
A scanning test that uses low-energy radiation to create computer images of the brain's metabolic activity.
Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
A scanning test that uses low-level radioactivity to measure the blood flow through the brain.
Status epilepticus
An extreme medical emergency: a series of seizures or a single, prolonged seizure without consciousness.