Diseases

Epilepsy

A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge. Epilepsy classification systems are generally based upon: (1) clinical features of the seizure episodes (e.g., motor seizure), (2) etiology (e.g., post-traumatic), (3) anatomic site of seizure origin (e.g., frontal lobe seizure), (4) tendency to spread to other structures in the brain, and (5) temporal patterns (e.g., nocturnal epilepsy). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p313)

MeSH Record

Classification

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See Also

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Synonyms

11 entry terms
  • Seizure Disorder
  • Epilepsies
  • Seizure Disorders
  • Aura
  • Awakening Epilepsy
  • Epilepsy, Cryptogenic
  • Auras
  • Cryptogenic Epilepsies
  • Cryptogenic Epilepsy
  • Epilepsies, Cryptogenic
  • Epilepsy, Awakening

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

general or unspecified; prefer specifics

MeSH Hierarchy

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NLM Classification

WL 385

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Epilepsy. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D004827. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D004827
  2. Epilepsy. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy
  3. Epilepsy. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q41571