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Recent work in the field of brain studies has revealed that physical stimulus of particular regions of the brain can induce feelings of deep spirituality and a sense of being near God, raising the question of a purely physical reason for these feelings and experiences. The following excerpt from Botom Line's Health Report newsletter does not explicitly address the question that title implies, but may offer a partial answer to the whys and hows of some of these experiences, some of them once in a lifetime occurrences. The newsletter is available for subscription at the following link:
http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com/e2/e2_signup.html
SHORT CIRCUITS
Sometimes wires short circuit. So, too, the "wires" in the brain short circuit when a seizure occurs. This happened to a friend on Christmas morning. She is a world-class athlete... in her 30s... and otherwise very healthy. Yet, she suddenly fell over twitching, with no warning signs. If it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone... and it does.
WHAT ARE SEIZURES?
The brain is not unlike a battery, in that a glitch in its chemistry sometimes prompts its nerve cells to misfire in an abnormal, unregulated way, explains William Theodore, MD, chief of the clinical epilepsy section for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
These misfirings can manifest in a variety of seizure types, which can involve various parts of the brain and include symptoms ranging from full-blown convulsions to momentary lapses of consciousness.
NO SINGLE THING
Seizures come in a variety of "shapes and sizes..."
- Partial seizures. Partial seizures originate -- and remain -- in one area of the brain, typically a temporal lobe, although they can also spring from other cortical regions.
- "Simple" partial seizures may involve impaired responsiveness and awareness, but a patient does not experience loss of consciousness.
- "Complex" partial seizures are thought to be one of the most common in adults and may be "tonic" (meaning there is an increase in muscle tone) or "clonic" (involving rhythmic muscular contractions). They may be preceded by an aura or a sense of unreality, and involve impaired consciousness as well as decreased awareness and responsiveness to cues in the environment. "Automatisms" involve moans, vocalizations or stereotyped speech or hand movements and may also accompany a complex partial seizure.
- Atonic seizures. These seizures, also known as a "drop attack" or "grand mal", can result in a sudden, unexpected loss of muscle tone that may result in an involuntary nodding of the head or a sudden fall to the floor. They often start with a gasp, shriek or yell, followed by a stiffening of the muscles, a loss of consciousness, jerking of the limbs and occasional loss of bowel and bladder control. These can happen at any age and are often the most distressful for patients, who have no memory of the attack, and onlookers, who may not be aware of a patient's seizure history.
- Absence seizures, which usually appear between the ages of four and 14 and usually stop before adulthood, involve a temporary "blanking out," often accompanied by a change in muscle activity such as blinking or repetitive hand and finger movements. Often people who have absence seizures are unaware that they were momentarily "unplugged."
- Myoclonic seizures are very brief jerks or hiccupy movements of the muscles in the upper body that occur most frequently in the morning.
- Sensory seizures may result in a brief malfunctioning of one of the senses, triggering an auditory, visual or olfactory hallucination.
People who have seizures of any kind are advised to get an electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help identify the type of seizure they're experiencing, to pinpoint the area in the brain from which they originate and to help determine the cause.
The good news: A full 60% of people who experience one seizure never have another.
The bad news: Of the remaining 40% who experience a second seizure, 75% go on to have a third. People whose first seizure is a partial seizure have a higher rate of recurrence. Those who do experience two or more seizures -- no matter what type -- are classified as "epileptic." Approximately three million Americans meet these criteria at present.
WHO SUFFERS SEIZURES?
Seizures can be caused by many health and lifestyle conditions. Some people inherit a genetic glitch or sustain an injury that makes their brain especially vulnerable to misfiring. For others, a circumstance, situation or substance that disturbs the physical or chemical environment of the brain serves as the trigger.
Circumstantial triggers can include drug withdrawal, drug overdose, diabetes, lack of sleep, certain sounds, lights or sensations, an inadequate supply of oxygen or glucose to the brain -- even, for certain people, caffeine or hormonal fluctuations preceding menstruation.
Subtle irregularities or scars in the brain can also predispose one to seizures. One-third of the infants born with cerebral palsy go on to have epilepsy, and migraine sufferers are at twice the risk of the general population. The two greatest age groups at risk for seizures are infants and those over age 65.
PREVENTION/TREATMENT
The goal of all epilepsy treatment is "no seizures/no side effects," says Gregory L. Barkley, MD, medical director of the Henry Ford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and chair of the professional advisory board for the Epilepsy Foundation. According to Dr. Barkley, there has been a steady march of progress toward that goal.
While some patients believe certain foods spur seizures, clinicians say there is no evidence that dietary restrictions can inhibit seizures. "The one exception may be the ketogenic diet," says Dr. Theodore, "which makes your brain more acidotic [i.e., it alters the pH balance of the brain] and works to some extent with children who have very bad seizures," notes Dr. Theodore. The diet, which has an extremely high fat-to-protein ratio, can be very difficult to maintain, however, and can be dangerous to overall health in the long run.
Daily Health News contributing editor Andrew Rubman, ND, says that a simpler and safer way to improve fat metabolism and maintain an acid balance is to add L-carnitine to the normal diet. He recommends 200 mg to 300 mg, twice daily, in between meals, with fruit.
Approximately three-quarters of all epileptics find that their symptoms are well-controlled by the vast array of anti-epileptic drugs. The type and combination of drugs prescribed varies widely, depending on the type of seizures a patient has, the patient's medical condition, age and tolerance for various side effects. For patients who don't respond to the medications available, or find the medications intolerable, surgery is sometimes a last resort. MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) scans can sometimes detect "almost microscopic areas where the brain is a bit disorganized," says Dr. Theodore. These scans are helpful in determining whether the spot in the brain from which the seizures originate is an area that can be safely accessed and repaired.
Stress can play a role in triggering seizures for many patients, notes Dr. Barkley, so it makes sense for anyone who has epilepsy to maintain a healthy diet, avoid possible triggers and get adequate rest.
Sources...
Gregory L. Barkley, MD, medical director, Henry Ford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Detroit, and chair, professional advisory board, the Epilepsy Foundation, Landover, Maryland.
Andrew L. Rubman, ND, adjunct professor of clinical medicine, Florida College of Integrative Medicine, Orlando, Florida, and director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut.
William Theodore, MD, chief, clinical epilepsy section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland.
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