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Epilepsy And Its Effects On The Central Nervous System

Better Essays

Hannah Rackley
Biology
A Warren
September 26, 2016
Epilepsy
Epilepsy refers to a seizure disorder where the central nervous system does not function properly. It is a neurological disorder. It is when nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures. There is no cure for epilepsy, but there are treatments to help limit the number of seizures. Most people that have epilepsy live normal lives with some or no restrictions. Most people outgrow their seizures once they get to adulthood. Seventy percent of people with epilepsy are diagnosed before the age of twenty and thirty percent develop a seizure disorder after the age of twenty. Understanding epilepsy’s origin, symptoms, diagnosis process, treatment options, and effects on daily life will eventually lead to a cure.
The first book written about epilepsy was by the Greek physician, Hippocrates. It was written around 400B.C. and was titled On the Sacred Disease. Hippocrates’ book is believed to be the first record of a person suffering from epilepsy. On the Sacred Disease laid the foundation for the education of epilepsy. Although it included some misleading myths, it also contained many truths about the disease. Epilepsy was called the "sacred disease" because people believed that the seizures were administrated by demonic spirits. People believed the seizures were sent by the gods to punish someone who had done wrong. Around 1494 A.D. Heinrich Kramer, a German Catholic clergyman, wrote Malleus Maleficarum. It

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