Christopher E. Gaw: What causes seizures, and how can we treat them?

What causes seizures, and how can we treat them?

Nearly 3,000 years ago, a Babylonian tablet described a curious illness called "miqtu" that caused symptoms ranging from facial twitching to full body convulsions. Today we know miqtu as seizures, and modern medicine has developed numerous treatments for those experiencing them. So what causes seizures, and is there any way to stop them from happening? Christopher E. Gaw investigates. [Directed by Bálint Gelley, CUB Animation Ltd, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by József Iszlai].

Seizures, once thought to be caused by evil spirits, have puzzled humanity for millennia. Today, doctors know they result from excess electrical activity in the brain, but their many forms and causes remain partly mysterious. While medications and precise surgeries now let most people with seizures live full lives, science still cannot explain why neurons misfire in some cases or why some treatments succeed. Simple actions during a seizure, like keeping the person safe and turning them on their side, can make a critical difference.