RT Book, Section A1 Ciccone, Charles D. SR Print(0) ID 1135035138 T1 Antiepileptic Drugs T2 Pharmacology in Rehabilitation YR 2016 FD 2016 PB F. A. Davis Company PP New York, NY SN 9780803640290 LK fadavispt.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1135035138 RD 2024/03/29 AB Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.1,2 Seizures are episodes of sudden, transient disturbances in cerebral excitation that occur when a sufficient number of cerebral neurons begin to fire rapidly and in synchronized bursts.3 Depending on the type of seizure, neuronal activity may remain localized in a specific area of the brain, or it may spread to other areas of the brain. In some seizures, neurons in the motor cortex are activated, leading to skeletal muscle contraction via descending neuronal pathways. These involuntary, paroxysmal skeletal muscle contractions seen during certain seizures are referred to as convulsions. However, convulsions are not associated with all types of epilepsy, and other types of seizures are characterized by a wide variety of sensory or behavioral symptoms.