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Absence seizure
A seizure in which a person may stare and blink repeatedly, and facial muscles may twitch; in children, these seizures often are mistaken for daydreaming |
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Adjunctive
When used to describe medications, this means a drug that is taken along with other medications |
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AED
Short for antiepileptic drug; AEDs also are called antiseizure medications, seizure medications, or epilepsy medications
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Blood level
The concentration or amount of antiepileptic or other drug present in the bloodstream, usually expressed as micrograms or nanograms per milliliter |
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Catamenial epilepsy
Epilepsy in which a woman's seizures tend to occur primarily at the time of menstruation |
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Clinical trials
Multi-phased, organized ways of testing new drugs in human populations, and subsequent analysis of the results |
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Complex partial seizure
A type of seizure that causes impaired consciousness and temporary memory loss; may also produce a blank stare and repeated mechanical movements such as facial grimacing |
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Compliance
Taking your medication as instructed by your doctor |
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Computerized tomography (CT)
A scanning method that uses X-rays and computers to create images of the internal structure of the brain, produced at different levels, in a series of "slices" |
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Epilepsy
A disorder in which nerve cells in the brain do not work the way they should and, as a result, can cause seizures |
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Epileptologist
A neurologist with a special interest in epilepsy |
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Focal seizure
Older term for partial seizure |
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Generalized seizure
A seizure that affects widespread areas of both sides of the brain, usually with loss of consciousness; two common types are tonic-clonic (also called "grand mal") and absence seizures (also called "petit mal") |
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Generic
In this context, the official name of a drug, as opposed to a brand name developed by the manufacturer; the generic name of LAMICTAL is lamotrigine |
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Intractable
Not responding to treatment |
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Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
A type of epilepsy that occurs in children in which different types of seizures occur in the same child; children with this syndrome usually have mental retardation |
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
An imaging method that uses magnets instead of X-rays to produce images of the inner body, including the internal structure of the brain |
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Maintenance dose
The amount of a medication needed to control a particular disease or disorder over the long term |
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Mechanism of action
How a drug works in the body |
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Minor motor seizure
An older term for a partial seizure affecting movement |
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Monotherapy
Treatment with a single drug |
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Neurologist
A doctor who treats diseases or disorders of the nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord |
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Onset
When something began; "age of onset" refers to the age at which a condition began |
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Partial seizure
A seizure that starts in one part of the brain and can spread to other parts; the two types of partial seizures are simple and complex |
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Pharmacokinetics
The way the body affects the drugs |
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Positron emission tomography (PET)
An imaging technique that shows biochemical activity in the brain |
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Prognosis
The expected course or outlook for an illness or condition |
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Seizure
A sudden attack due to an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain that can cause a change in consciousness, movement, or sensation |
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Simple partial seizure
A seizure in which a person remains conscious but may have jerking movements, stomach pain, nausea, or feelings of fear or anger |
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Single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT)
An imaging technique to measure blood flow in the brain |
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Tonic-clonic seizure
A seizure in which a person usually cries out, stiffens, and may fall to the ground, often with body shaking and tongue-biting; also called "grand mal" or primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizure |
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Vertigo
Dizziness |
