Essay Sample on Seizures: Common in Kids & Elderly, 10% of Population Affected

Introduction

One of the most common nervous system diseases is new-onset seizures, especially among the elderly and children. Seizures occur to about 4-10% of children and 8-10% in the elderly (Falco, 2018). Medical practitioners encounter it frequently, and up to at least 10% of the population have had seizures in their lifetime. Seizures that occur early in life require exceptional care since there might be a recognizable cause. These seizures are more idiopathic. New-onset seizures mostly occur between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The symptoms of new-onset seizures include a staring spell, unconsciousness, and temporary confusion

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Causes of New-Onset Seizures

New-onset seizures may be caused by unprovoked seizures, which are the initial stages of epilepsy, or acute symptomatic seizures that are caused by metabolic disorders or acute brain injury (Falco, 2018). New seizures can also be caused by trauma, drugs, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), space-occupying lesions, and central nervous system infections (CNS). Adequate physical examination, brain imaging, electroencephalography, and patient history are crucial to determining patients with new-onset epilepsy. Neuroimaging in adults is also essential as it detects the primary structural abnormalities (Gavvala, 2016). New-onset seizures can also be examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT scan to check the underlying cerebral lesions. Also, magnetic resonance spectroscopy can be used to evaluate the metabolic changes in the epileptogenic area. Electroencephalography is more appropriate for patients with new-onset seizures. Some seizure-free characteristics which have once been treated with epilepsy might only be detectable with electroencephalography. Patients who have been induced into a coma should get the appropriate ECG tests. The physical examination should involve mental and neurologic status evaluation.

Differential Diagnosis

Non-seizure events like syncope and pseudoseizure are very different from the seizure events. Syncope, however, when compared to seizures, it is hard to differentiate. This is because patients who suffer from syncope inhibit seizure-like movements when unconscious. The presence of aura, tongue biting focal neurological signs, and postical confusion are the purported features of new-onset seizures. On the other hand, syncope is characterized by chest pains, palpitations, sweating, light-headedness, and a slow heart rate (Falco, 2018).

After an occurrence of a new-onset seizure, the physician should evaluate and verify if the patient is acting normal or if the patient has sufficient oxygen. The physician should focus on the characteristics and circumstances of the event. The behaviors of the patient during the development also help in identifying the type of epilepsy.

CBD Oil

Most epilepsy drugs are not so effective. The hard to treat epilepsy, however, might lead to premature death. Research shows that combining cannabis oil with some other treatments works effectively for hard to treat epilepsy. Cannabis oil aids in controlling seizures and saves lives. Cannabis oil contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC has no medicinal value because it's a schedule 1 drug (Yuan, 2016).

CBD oil can be bought without prescriptions since it has low quantities of THC. However, cannabis oil contains a very high amount of THC (more than 0.3%) and, therefore, illegal. Cannabidiol does not have the psychoactive effects of marijuana, and therefore it is an anti-seizure. Cannabidiol is extracted from buds and flowers of hemp plants and marijuana. CBD oil helps in relieving acute pain in the body. CBD is effective, especially for epilepsies such as Lennox Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. These rare diseases that have no cure can be tracked fast for drug development by the pharmaceutical industry. In this case, the US Food and Drug is anticipated to issue a license for CBD to treat these types of epilepsies (Yuan, 2016). However, CBD does not activate the cannabis receptor but acts as a functional blocker of the CBD1 receptor.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Vagus nerve stimulation lessens and prevents by transferring consistent, mild pulses that contain electrical energy to the brain through the vagus nerve. A device is usually implanted in the left chest area under the skin. An electrode is then attached to the generator device and put in the same place. This device sends stimulation voluntarily at regular intervals.

Vagus nerve stimulation alters how the brain works by sending electrical stimulation to areas that have seizures. The vagus nerve is an automatic nervous system that controls voluntary functions of the body like breathing and heart rate. The vagus nerve delivers information from the brain to the body. The nerve also brings information from the body to the brain. Studies show that vagus nerve stimulation manages seizures by raising the level of neurotransmitters and increasing blood flow in vital brain areas. It also interferes with the electroencephalogram patterns in case of a seizure.

Vagus nerve stimulation reduces the chances of occurrence of seizures by 28% during the first three months (Liu, 2016). Studies show that patients who use vagus nerve stimulation show improvements in controlling seizures over time. The recovery time after seizures is very short, and it improves alertness in patients.

Vagus nerve stimulation is used with other medications that reduce seizures. Vagus nerve stimulation is used with seizures that have not been able to be controlled with at least two seizure medications (Liu, 2016). Vagus nerve is sometimes used in cases where surgery does not work, or there is an epilepsy surgery. However, vagus nerve stimulation is not suitable for seizures that are not epileptic or seizures that are not associated with electrical brain activity. Vagus nerve stimulation may increase the severity of asthma and other breathing problems. Therefore, people with these complications are not advised to use vagus nerve stimulation. Vagus nerve stimulation is also not suitable for patients with only one vagus nerve. People who have low heart rate and abnormal heart rhythms are also not advised to use auto stimulation settings with the new vagus nerve stimulation models.

Conclusion

Up to 35 of the population develop epilepsy in their lifetime. However, so many people experience seizures in their lifetime. A careful physical examination and a look at a patient's history may help in diagnosing an epileptic event. A new-onset seizure can be treated through the use of CBD oil or vagus nerve stimulation. However, all these medications have their consequences and side effects.

Reference

Falco-Walter, J. J., Scheffer, I. E., & Fisher, R. S. (2018). The new definition and classification of seizures and epilepsy. Epilepsy Research, 139, 73-79.

Gavvala, J. R., & Schuele, S. U. (2016). New-onset seizure in adults and adolescents: a review. Jama, 316(24), 2657-2668.

Hausman-Kedem, M., Menascu, S., & Kramer, U. (2018). Efficacy of CBD-enriched medical cannabis for the treatment of refractory epilepsy in children and adolescents-An observational, longitudinal study. Brain and Development, 40(7), 544-551.

Liu, S., Yu, W., & Lu, Y. (2016). The causes of new-onset epilepsy and seizures in the elderly. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 12, 1425.

Yuan, H., & Silberstein, S. D. (2016). Vagus nerve and vagus nerve stimulation, a comprehensive review: part II. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 56(2), 259-266.