Mystery of the Brain Epilepsy is one of humankind’s oldest and most misunderstood Conditions. Characterized by frightening seizure attacks, epilepsy has been described in ancient text from the Bible to Babylonian tablets.  Although it was first recognized some 4,000 years ago, the disorder is still very much a mystery, preventing many from living normal, productive lives.  However, treatments developed in recent years are giving people with epilepsy new opportunities. Epilepsy is not a disease; it is a symptom of an underlying neurological disorder that causes the brain to seize.  A seizure occurs when brain cells emit abnormal electrical discharges.  The result can be as mild as a brief moment of staring to a violent convulsion.              The initial diagnosis is usually based on a description of the seizure, a neurological examination and routine electroencephalogram (EEG) studies.  The disorder is so complex that more than 30 types of seizures have been identified.  While half of all cases are diagnosed before the age of 10, no one is exempt from developing it at any age.  Epilepsy can result from a head injury, stroke, tumor, infection or poisoning.  Most cases, however, have no known cause. At the turn of the century, doctors were able to control the seizures of less than 30% of their patients.  Today, 80% of patients live seizure-free lives, thanks to anticonvulsant drugs. And for those who do not respond to drug therapy, surgical removal of brain tissue is a viable option. The  Ketogenic diet can also be very helpful for some and is most effective in some children. In addition to its devastating effects on the body, the stigma of epilepsy takes a toll on marriages, families and careers.  Even for those whose seizures are under control, there is always the gnawing dread of ‘When will it happen again’? Epilepsy remains a major, unsolved health problem.  New research is striving to unlock the mystery of epilepsy and there is more promise now than ever before.  Within the last two years alone, new types of anti-epileptic drugs have been made available. Currently a pacemaker-like device called the vagus nerve stimulator, VNS, can be implanted in the chest wall.  It is then programmed to stimulate the brain at different frequencies to control seizures.  Other cutting edge technology includes the gamma knife, a machine that focuses beams of gamma radiation at a specific point in the brain, and transcranial magnetic stimulation, where a magnetic current is sent to a region of the brain while a stimulator is placed over the skull.  The latter is now being used diagnostically, but is still in the exploratory stage of treatment of Epilepsy.