Did you know that one in ten people will have at least one seizure in their lifetimes? Seizures are caused by unusual electrical activity in the brain.
But what happens in the brain during a seizure? If you have epilepsy, you might be familiar with the symptoms of seizures, but it’s also useful to know what’s actually causing those symptoms.
What happens in the brain when you have a seizure?
During a seizure, there is a sudden intense burst of electricity that disrupts how the brain usually works. This activity can happen in one small part of the brain and last for just a couple of seconds, or it can spread right across the brain and keep going for many minutes.
To understand what seizures do to the brain, it’s important to understand how the brain normally works.
How do seizures affect the brain’s normal behavior?
The human brain is continually generating electrical pulses which control everything from movement to thoughts to memories. These electrical pulses are transmitted by neurons, a network of billions of cells that are found in the brain and the body. Neurons transmit an electrical pulse and send ‘messages’ to other neurons and the rest of the body using neurotransmitters, a kind of chemical messenger (this explanation is simplified).
During an epileptic seizure, the activity of your neurons becomes disordered:
- During a seizure, your brain’s normal electrical activity gets disrupted
- Nearby groups of neurons activate in a coordinated pattern, creating a surge of activity that might be located in one area of the brain.
- This scrambles the ‘messages’ that the brain sends out to the rest of the body.
- Because the messages are scrambled, seizures are often accompanied by uncontrollable movements and/or changes in emotions and behavior.
Why location matters
Different parts of the brain control different parts of people’s bodies. For example, a part called the cerebellum affects your movement.
Depending what part of the brain causes your seizures, this may affect what kind of symptoms you have.
Which types of seizure affect just one part of the brain?
These seizures are called focal seizures. The unusual electrical activity may begin in the same location in the person’s brain each time they have a seizure (but it can also spread to other areas).
Which types of seizures affect both sides of the brain?
These are called generalized seizures. It may not be possible to pinpoint exactly where in the brain the seizures begin. They cause abnormal electrical activity to happen all over the brain at the same time.
Learn more: The difference between generalized and focal seizures
What damage do seizures do to the brain?
Scientific research on the effects of seizures on the brain is not conclusive. It’s important to speak with your doctor to learn about the seizures you have, and how best to manage them.
There is some evidence that status epilepticus (unusually long seizures that last five minutes or longer) may cause brain damage. Status epilepticus is a medical emergency which requires immediate treatment.
Treatment can help reduce the number of seizures you have, or even prevent them from happening. This is why it’s so important to get seizures treated.
Understanding your epilepsy
By learning more about what happens to the brain during a seizure, you may feel more confident in understanding your own epilepsy better. And there’s always more to learn - read our blogs to find out more about epilepsy.
