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Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. Seizures are episodes of uncontrolled and abnormal firing of brain cells that may cause changes in attention or behavior. Epilepsy occurs when permanent changes in the brain cause it to be too excitable or irritable. As a result, the brain sends out abnormal signals. This leads to repeated, unpredictable seizures. (A single seizure that does not happen again is not epilepsy.)
It's like a short circuit in the brain, says Adam Hartman, M.D., assistant professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore. Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures, but many things, including birth trauma, brain disorders, and chemical imbalances, can trigger them. Often, doctors can't determine the reason for a seizure.