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Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a terrible disease, which disrupts the neuron cells communication. Approximately 2.7 million North Americans are affected with epilepsy and there are approximately $12.5 billion in direct and indirect costs. People who have epilepsy outbreak in random seizures, these seizures usually occur as a result of abnormal neuronal activity in the brain. The problem, which most people nowadays face with epilepsy, is that it is a controlled disease but not yet cured nor is it fully understood. Epilepsy is a disease, which has affected mankind since the beginning of our existence. It is a disease, which varies in people. It can look act feel differently to different people. During the beginning of civilizations, people thought epilepsy was a curse from the "gods" so many stigmas were attached to the people who suffered from these disorders. People often thought epileptic people held the power to prophesize events. Although, in the past century neurological studies have revolutionized the way modern medicine understands these types of disease.
Epilepsy has direct causes towards the neuron cell. Research has shown that the cell membrane of a neuron cell plays a critical role in the cause of epilepsy. The neuron cell membrane regulates the flow of the electrical signals, which the epileptic state disrupts. These electrical signals regulate normal bodily activities such as movement, breathing, and communication. This is why people with epilepsy tend to inhibit uncontrollable body. The neuron cell branches out like tiny tentacles known as dendrites. These dendrites communicate with other cells to form a "connection." Throughout the dendrite membrane there are little channels called H-channels, which allow the passage of potassium and sodium ions in and out of the neuron. Proteins build these H-channels, which help buffer receiving neurons from being barraged and over-stimulated by inputs coming from information being transmitted. Therefore, A seizure happens when too many messages are going into the brain at once, all at the same time. Seizures vary from occurring in the entire brain or in specific areas. Another important thing to note is during an epileptic seizure it is said that the person may lose Neuron cells, which usually take decades to regenerate. As you can see, epilepsy has short term and long-term effects.
Epileptic people have many symptoms, which disrupt their daily lives. In this paragraph I will be explaining the symptoms at a cellular level. First of all, since epileptic people have too many messages entering the neuron receptor the area affected goes into a "seizure." Seizures also are amplified because of the mixed messages entering the Neuron this causes dramatic confusion in the brain. As said earlier, seizures vary from the entire brain to certain areas. There are two kinds of partial seizures, complex partials where consciousness is changed or lost, and simple partials when you are conscious for the whole thing. On the lighter side, epileptic people usually tend to have memory loss or confusion of memory. As mentioned earlier, this is the mixed message confusing the body as a whole.
Epilepsy has not been fully cured but can be "lightened" up. With the modern treatments available an epileptic person may be able to suppress the random seizures but unfortunately not yet fully cure it. A medication known as Diazepem work by attaching themselves to the neuron receptor and increasing the amount of freeze messages in the brain. Freeze messages are an organized feature of the neuron cell, where the messages would enter the receptor then freeze to read the message then a neuron would unfreeze them to continue on through there path. This is a useful feature because it allows the brain to steadily read the information instead of having too much at once. The Ketogenic Diet can help stop seizures in some children who are not helped by medicines. It's a very high fat diet with barely any sugar. All the food must be measured and weighed, but you don't get too much food to eat. A typical meal is a cup of heavy cream, a sausage, and if you're lucky one strawberry. Dieters must take a lot of vitamins because it is not a balanced meal. A great treatment for epilepsy is implantable devices. Neurocybernetic Prosthesis which is a small device similar to a pace maker that gives small electrical shocks to the vagus nerve. Holding a magnet by the device can increase the shocks. As a last option a victim of epilepsy may need to get surgery.
The 21st century calls for a new era to revolutionize modern medicine. Current studies on the neuron and the brain as a whole have shown future development of understanding this disease.
Argh this looks like a school report (school is evil!!)
Is it?