112 EPILEPSY Epilepsy is a neurological disorder, i.e. a disorder of the central nervous system, in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behaviour, sensations, and sometimes loss of consciousness. Although it can affect both males and females of any background and age, it is more common in males, young children, and older adults . In your opinion, how many people in Italy suffer from epilepsy? 5,000 / 50,000 / 500,000. Neurofibromatosis is a term that describes genetic diseases caused by mutations in genes that lead to increased risk of developing tumours. People with epilepsy often experience changes in their quality of life such as less mobility, as well as the impact on learning, school attendance, employment, relationships, and social interactions. A twitch is an involuntary movement of a part of the body. Apart from a muscle twitch during a seizure, there are other common twitches. Do you know which ones are possible? 230 diFFicUlties Causes Epilepsy has no identifiable cause in about half the people with the condition. In the other half, the condition may be traced to various factors which include: genetic influence: some types of epilepsy which cause partial seizures are linked to specific genes which make people more sensitive to environmental conditions that trigger them; head trauma as a result of a car accident or other traumatic injury; brain tumours or strokes; infectious diseases such as meningitis, AIDS, and viral encephalitis; prenatal injuries caused by an infection in the mother, poor nutrition, or oxygen deficiencies; developmental disorders such as autism and neurofibromatosis . Symptoms The most common symptoms are seizures with sudden rushes of electrical activity in the brain. There are two main types of seizures: generalised seizures affect the whole brain; focal, or partial, seizures affect just one part of the brain. A mild seizure may be difficult to recognise: it can last just a few seconds during which people lack awareness. Stronger seizures can cause spasms and uncontrollable muscle twitches and can last from a few seconds to several minutes. During a stronger seizure, some people become confused or lose consciousness. Treatment Although there is no known cure for epilepsy, developments in treatment have made it possible for most people to achieve seizure control. The first treatment step is usually to find the right medicine or Anti-Epileptic Drug (AED). rush: aumento seizure: crisi (epilettica) to trigger: scatenare twitch: contrazione, fremito