Epilepsy - Causes

Other Causes in Adults. Other known or possible causes of epilepsy in teenage or adult years include:

Drug abuse or withdrawal from drugs.
Sudden withdrawal from certain antianxiety or antidepressant drugs.
Occupational exposure to environmental triggers. High exposure to certain chemicals has been linked with seizures. A 2000 study of utility company employees in Denmark revealed an association between high exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and an increased risk of epilepsy and neurologic diseases that affected motor control.
Alzheimer's or other degenerative brain diseases in the elderly.
Nervous system infection by tapeworm larvae is an important cause of epilepsy in developing nations.

Causes of Seizures That Can Occur at Any Age

Infections of the Brain and Central Nervous System (CNS). Acute infections of the brain and the CNS can cause seizures. Some cases are complicated by brain damage that can lead to recurrent seizures afterward. The most common central nervous system infections are encephalitis and meningitis. Researchers have also found an association between epileptic seizures and CNS-occuring herpes simplex virus infections. More research is needed before any causative role can be proved.

The organs of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) are covered by three connective tissue layers called the meninges. They consist of the pia mater (closest to the CNS structures), the arachnoid and the dura mater (farthest from the CNS). The meninges help support blood vessels and contain cerebrospinal fluid. The structures are involved in meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges, which, if severe, may become encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.

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Hypoglycemia. Seizures can be caused by low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), a complication of diabetes in both children and adults.

Brain Tumors. Both cancerous and noncancerous brain tumors can cause seizures in all patients.

Cavernous Angiomas. Cavernous angiomas are blood vessels that grow abnormally and, like a tumor, can put pressure on nerve tissue.

Pseudoepilepsy. Between 20% and 45% of cases of untreatable seizures have a psychologic rather than physical origin. In this form of epilepsy, known as pseudoepilepsy or psychogenic epilepsy, the patient has no conscious intent of forcing a seizure and does not show unusual emotional behavior or signs of hysteria. It is very difficult to treat and can be very disabling. Pseudoepilepsy can usually be distinguished from true epilepsy using an electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures brain waves. The cause of pseudoepilepsy is unknown.