The Ultimate Shake Down: Epilepsy vs. Syncope

Epilepsy, a disorder of unprovoked recurring seizures, continues to be seen as a growing medical concern worldwide. It represents the most common, non-communicable brain disorder, affecting persons of all ages. Every year over five million persons are formally diagnosed with epilepsy when seeking medical care. Often diagnosed as a young child, most persons can live a seizure-free life once there is an early diagnosis, proper patient education, and keen clinical management. However, the reoccurrence of status epilepticus, a neurological emergency, can be linked to untreated underlying causes and lead to serious morbidity and even early mortality if not properly managed. The prognosis is heavily reliant on the discovery of the underlying cause. Epilepsy, in recent times, provides a terminology for ease of identification of the associated clinical symptomology. Epilepsy, an umbrella term, can manifest differently as either idiopathic, symptomatic, or cryptogenic. However, distinguishing epilepsy from other seizure mimics is critical to preventing complications. Epilepsy research, like many other neurological symptoms, is limited in low-resource areas. Therefore, through greater awareness of epilepsy and public education campaigns, better health outcomes can be achieved. There is huge utility in clear communication of medical information among healthcare providers as well as in optimizing treatment plans.