What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is the general term for a variety of neurological conditions characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. A seizure is a brief disturbance in the electrical activity of the brain that causes temporary changes in movement, awareness, feelings, behavior, or other bodily functions.

Epilepsy is one of the world’s oldest known medical conditions, and yet too many people do not understand it. It is the fourth most common neurological disease after migraine, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. More people live with epilepsy than with autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy – combined.

• 65 MILLION: Number of people around the world who have epilepsy.
• 3.4 MILLION: Number of people in the United States who have epilepsy.
• 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime.
• Less than 1000: Number of known cases of KCNQ2 Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy