There are several different ways to treat<unk>  lobe epileptic seizures, however, the most common form of treatment is through the use of anticonvulsant medications that help to prevent seizures from occurring. In some cases, however, when medications are ineffective, a neurologist may choose to operate on the patient in order to remove the focal area of the brain in which the seizures are occurring. Other treatments that can be administered to aid in reducing the occurrence of seizures include the implementation of a specific, regimented diet and/or the implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator, or deep brain stimulation (DBS). Medications Anticonvulsants are the most successful medication in reducing and preventing seizures from reoccurring. The goal of these medications in being able to reduce the reoccurrence of seizures is to be able to limit the amount of rapid and extensive firing of neurons so that a focal region of neurons cannot become over-activated thereby initiating a seizure. Although anticonvulsants are able to reduce the amount of seizures that occur in the brain, no medication has been discovered to date that is able to prevent the development of epilepsy following a head injury. There are a wide range of anticonvulsants that have both different modes of action and different abilities in preventing certain types of seizures. Some of the anticonvulsants that are prescribed to patients today include: Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Phenytoin (Dilantin Kapseals), Gabapentin (Neurontin), Levetiracetam (Keppra), Lamotrigine (Lamictal), Topiramate (Topamax), Tiagabine (Gabitril), Zonisamide (Zonegran) and Pregabalin (Lyrica). Note on medications Lorazepam, Diazepam and clonazepam are<unk> ine treatment for severe convulsions, belonging to the benzodiazepine class of medications. Surgical treatment When both the amount and severity of seizures becomes uncontrollable and seizures remain resistant to the various anticonvulsants, a patient most likely will be considered for epilepsy surgery. But, while performing it, there is the need for identifying or pinpointing the exact location of the seizure in the brain. This, in recent times have been aided by some of the modern techniques such as, SISCOM i.e., subtraction ictal SPECT co registered to MRI, SPECT i.e. single-photon emission computerized tomography, brain mapping performed before the surgery and functional MRI (fMRI), especially for the language area mapping. Surgeries include, a<unk>  lobectomy. This procedure involves the removal of focal regions of the<unk>  lobes that have been identified as being problematic for the patient. It has been found that around 30% to 50% of patients that undergo a<unk>  lobectomy will forever be free from seizures that cause a loss of consciousness or cause abnormal movements. If on the other hand, the seizures occur in an area that is too vital to remove (such as areas that control motor, sensory or language functions), then the surgeon will perform a procedure known as a multiple subpial transection. This procedure involves making a series of cuts that surround the focal region where the seizures have originated. By making cuts surrounding the focal region, the surgeon is able to isolate that specific section of the brain and prevent electrical impulses from being able to travel horizontally to other areas of the brain. The last surgical procedure that can be done to help prevent the reoccurrence of seizures in the<unk>  lobes is to implant a stimulator on the vagus nerve. This device is a self-activating device that is inserted directly under the skin and can be controlled directly by the patient. When a patient is feeling the onset of an aura, he/she can activate the stimulator which in turn will provide stimulation to the left vagus nerve (the left vagus nerve is used because the right nerve plays a role in cardiac function). Although little is understood about the exact mechanism for vagal nerve stimulation, it has been proven to be a successful treatment that can often terminate seizures before they begin. Another novel procedure that can be used, utilizes a mechanism similar to that of a cardiac pacemaker. The electrode is implanted into the patient's brain, while a neuro-stimulator machine is placed beneath the skin of the chest. The stimulator sends indication to the electrode in the brain to prevent any signal that potentially triggers or can trigger a seizure. This procedure is named as the deep brain stimulation (DBS). Diet The use of a regimented diet is an approach that has been found to help control seizures in children with severe, medically intractable<unk> . Although the use of dieting to prevent seizures from occurring is a lost treatment that has been replaced by the use of new types of anticonvulsants, it is still recommended to patients to this day. A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate based diet that patients are typically asked to follow in conjunction with their anticonvulsant medications. This diet was designed in order to mimic many of the effects that starvation has on the metabolic functioning of the body. By limiting the amount of carbohydrates and increasing the amount of exogenous fats available to the metabolism, the body will create an excess of water-soluble compounds known as ketone bodies. Although the mechanism of action is still unknown, it is believed that these excessive amounts of ketone bodies become the brain's main source of energy and in turn are able to suppress the frequency of seizure occurrence.
Frontal lobe epilepsy
Temporal lobe epilepsy
Catamenial epilepsy
Rolandic epilepsy
Musicogenic epilepsy
Childhood absence epilepsy
Generalized epilepsy
Myoclonic epilepsy