History Of Epilepsy Essay

Historical background of epilepsy:

The history of epilepsy is intervened with the history of humanity. The first descriptions of epileptic seizures can be traced back to 2,000 B.C. Later reports on epilepsy can also be found in ancient Egyptian medical texts and in ancient Babylonian texts. The Hammurabi code also refers to epilepsy. The code states that the person with epilepsy could not marry, or testify in court.

The first formal description of epilepsy as a disease should be attributed to the father of medicine, Hippocrates. He was the first to attribute the etiology of epilepsy to brain dysfunction, stressing the role of heredity in the disease. Hippocrates called epilepsy the “great disease”, the originator of the term ‘grand mal’. He also noted that head injuries often lead to convulsions, introducing the idea of traumatic epilepsy. Interesting descriptions of epileptic seizures can be found in the texts of Ibn Sina, who was the first person to coin the term epilepsy using a passive latin verb "epilambanein".

Major advances in understanding of epilepsy came later, during the 18th and 19th century. During this period, experimental studies were conducted and advances made in the pathology of the disease. But with no doubt, John Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911) is the

Epilepsy is considered to be resolved for individuals who had an age-dependent epilepsy syndrome but are now past the applicable age or those who have remained seizure-free for the last 10 years, with no seizure medicines for the last 5