Epilepsy is a general term for conditions with recurring seizures. There are many kinds of seizures, but all involve abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes an involuntary change in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behavior.
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Data & Statistics
- Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures.
- There are many types of seizures and their symptoms can vary from a momentary disruption of the senses, to short periods of unconsciousness or staring spells, to convulsions.
- Epilepsy can be caused by many different conditions that affect a person’s brain. Often no definite cause can be found. Epilepsy cannot be transmitted from person to person.
- Epilepsy affects about 2.5 million Americans.
- About 10% of people will experience a seizure sometime during their lifetime and about 3% will have had a diagnosis of epilepsy by age 80.
- In 2009, nearly 150,000 new cases of epilepsy will be diagnosed in the United States.
- Epilepsy results in an estimated annual cost of $15.5 billion in medical costs and lost or reduced earnings and production.
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Programs & Campaigns
- "You Are Not Alone" Toolkit is an audio, video and other material developed for parents of teens who have epilepsy.
Epilepsy MMWR Surveillance Summary
In 2005, 19 states collected information about the number of adults living with epilepsy, their characteristics, and other epilepsy-related factors.
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