What does actor Danny Glover have in common with Aristotle, Leonardo De Vinci and Theodore Roosevelt? Epilepsy. November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and since 1968, the Epilepsy Foundation of America’s national campaign has endeavored to educate the public about the disorder. In 2003, Congress passed a formal resolution devoting the month of November to epilepsy to raise the public’s awareness of the disease through education, to dispel common myths and fears surrounding the disease and to inform epileptics and their families about treatments and resources available to them.

Accordingly, the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia (EFVA) is holding the Richmond Epilepsy Awareness Stroll on November 6 at Deep Run Park. Information can be found at the foundation’s website, www.epilepsyfoundation.org/virginia. In addition to the stroll, EFVA also provides assistance to people with epilepsy in areas such as physician referral, employment assistance, medication assistance, as well as education programs for schools, emergency personnel, police departments, etc. These efforts directly help those with the disorder. They are indirectly affected, as well, as the education efforts of the foundation increase public awareness and understanding of epilepsy.

There are about three million people with epilepsy in the United States, and approximately 200,000 new cases will be diagnosed each year. By age 75, three percent of the US population will be diagnosed with this disorder, and currently in Virginia there are seventy to eighty thousand people suffering with epilepsy. Putting these numbers in perspective, according to the 2008 census, Chesterfield County has a population of approximately 303,000.

Awareness starts with understanding epilepsy-- it is the repeated occurrence of unprovoked seizures. A seizure is a sudden, abnormal, electrical storm in the brain. Clinically seizures can take many forms. The most dramatic is what is typically portrayed in film and television—a convulsion where the person falls to the ground, shakes all over, bites his tongue and is then confused afterwards. However, lesser known seizure symptoms can be staring spells; isolated shaking of a limb; or even sudden, unexpected and inappropriate laughter. An important point to remember is that seizures are the symptom of epilepsy much like chest pain is the symptom of a heart attack.

The disorder can be difficult to diagnose, and sometimes, epilepsy may be diagnosed as another disorder. Also, individuals may not recognize epileptic symptoms. Therefore, they do not seek medical attention, and they go without diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Some also refuse to seek medical attention due to the stigmata that surround the diagnosis. For all of these reasons, public awareness and education are essential.

About 10 percent of the US population will have at least one seizure in their lifetime, but having one seizure does not always mean a person is epileptic. An isolated seizure can be caused by other conditions such as electrolyte imbalances, alteration in blood sugar, medications/medication withdrawal and illegal substance abuse, to name a few.

Intolerable medication side effects are another common misconception. All drugs have potential side effects; however, neurologists have a wide array of newer epilepsy medications available today. Many of these newer medications have fewer side effects and are better tolerated than the medicines previously available. Since 1992, multiple medications have been introduced, and these medicines have added to the ability to control a patient’s seizures. In fact, 60 percent of newly diagnosed patients will achieve seizure control with their first or second medication trial. Of those who do not, combinations of medications may be effective.

New medications are being developed, and for patients unsuccessful with available drugs, there may also be opportunity to participate in a study using a drug that is being tested to determine its effectiveness. However, medication is not the only treatment; technology has recently presented other options.

For people with epilepsy arising from a single area of the brain, surgery to remove the area where the seizures originate can render a patient seizure free. The process of determining if one is a candidate entails prolonged monitoring of brain waves and other various tests.

Patients with drug resistant epilepsy are not always surgical candidates, but there are implantable devices such as the Vagus Nerve Stimulator which can decrease seizure frequency. This device has a generator which is implanted in the soft tissues of the chest much like a pacemaker. A wire is then connected from the generator, attached to the vagus nerve in the neck, which sends projections to various places in the brain thought to be involved in seizure generation. This nerve is stimulated with electrical current from the device, and for most people, a significant reduction in seizure frequency is possible.

Other devices are in clinical trial, and recently, the deep brain stimulator most commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders was approved for use in Europe for patients with medically refractory epilepsy.

Public awareness and education help to dispel the myths and stigma surrounding epilepsy. With accurate diagnosis and treatment, the majority of patients can obtain control of their seizures. Additional information about epilepsy can be obtained from your local neurologist, the Epilepsy Foundation of America and the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia.