Cryptogenic focal epilepsy: treatment and symptoms

Even in ancient times, people suffered from a disease such as cryptogenic focal epilepsy, so its study began in the annals. Translated into Russian, the name of the disease is translated as “hidden, undesignated”, “sudden attack, fight”. Focal epilepsy, diagnosed in 70% of patients, means partial symptoms due to incomplete damage to the cerebral cortex.  

Symptoms of Cryptogenic Focal Epilepsy

In this case, the most important thing is that in many cases the exact form of epilepsy remains undetermined. The thing is that syndromes can develop from one form to another, and not timely adaptation of treatment does not lead to positive results. For example, West epilepsy syndrome occurs only in infants, that is, in children under one year old. According to statistics, the peak of the manifestation of the disease is at 4-6 months. Then the syndrome disappears or goes into another form.

Consider the main symptoms of cryptogenic focal epilepsy:

1. EEG gives a clear understanding of what exactly the patient had to face. When re-taking tests, the readings may shift slightly, but this does not mean that the disease is absent.
2. Seizures are very common.
3. The patient is in a very aggressive psychoemotional state, while psychomotor skills are rapidly regressing.

But perhaps the most obvious symptom of cryptogenic focal epilepsy is a sudden fall. The most interesting thing is that in this case the patient does not have to lose consciousness, he can remain sane.

Signs of cryptogenic focal epilepsy disease 

Throughout the entire diagnosis, various types of seizures can occur with the patient, and they manifest themselves in a special way. Take simple partial seizures, for example. They arise as a result of brain disorders. At the same time, the patient does not lose consciousness, but an aura may appear. An aura should be understood as a specific symptom or signal that is the first beacon that a seizure is very close. If it is a motor aura, then severe pain will begin to affect the central lobe, if it is auditory, then the upper parts of the temporal lobe.
 

The patient may begin to manifest autonomic seizures. Their main feature is that unpleasant sensations of discomfort begin to appear in the head and throat. Many patients with cryptogenic focal epilepsy also have complex seizures. In this case, the general consciousness of a person is very strongly disturbed. There are problems with motor activity, sometimes the patient begins to experience complete amnesia.

Treatment of cryptogenic focal epilepsy

The effectiveness of treatment will primarily depend on the timely detection of the disease. Recently, epilepsy has been objectively investigated by clinical methods and due to this, the number of patients is gradually decreasing. Electroencephalography is considered the mainstay of research and is the best study of brain activity.

The auxiliary methods include computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, neuroradiological examination. All these approaches to the disease make it possible to objectively identify its causes and symptoms in order to find an individual approach to treatment. Note that the rehabilitation procedure for a patient with epilepsy is by no means simple and rather long, it can take from three to five years, and this is not the limit.

Each organism reacts differently to all medications, but usually treatment is based on drug complexes, which include tranquilizers, sedative properties, hydantoic acid tablets , drugs based on valproic acid. In some cases, you may encounter individual intolerance to certain drugs; only a doctor can solve this problem.