SNC2D Relating Science to Technology, Society and the Environment

BIOLOGY UNIT RESEARCH PROJECT

Name: __________Dana___________
My disease is: _____________Epilepsy________________
1. What organ system(s) is impacted by your disease? How does this disease alter the
proper functions of your organ system(s)? Refer to specific organs. You may use a
diagram to help.
Epilepsy is a Neurological (central nervous system) disease where brain activity becomes abnormal. The organ
systems affected by my disease are the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system,
respiratory system, nervous system, muscular system, skeletal system, and digestive system.

Effects:
Central nervous system → The disease disrupts the activity of brain cells called neurons, which normally
transmit messages in the form of electrical impulses. An interruption in these impulses leads to seizures.
Cardiovascular system → Seizures can interrupt the heart’s normal rhythm, causing the heart to beat too slowly,
too quickly, or erratically.
Reproductive system → Reproductive problems are two to three times more common. People with epilepsy than
those without the disorder. Epilepsy can disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycle, making her periods irregular or
stopping them altogether. About 40 percent of men with epilepsy have low levels of testosterone, the hormone
responsible for sex drive and sperm production.
Respiratory system → Interruptions in breathing during seizures can lead to abnormally low oxygen levels, and
may contribute to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
Nervous system → Epilepsy can affect nervous system functions that are voluntary (under your control) and
involuntary (not under your control).
Muscular system → During some types of seizures, muscles can either become floppy or tighter than usual.
Tonic seizures cause the muscles to involuntarily tighten, jerk, and twitch. Atonic seizures cause a sudden loss
of muscle tone, and floppiness.
Skeletal system → Epilepsy itself doesn’t affect the bones, but drugs you take to manage it can weaken bones.
Digestive system → Seizures can affect the movement of food through the digestive system.

Epilepsy is split into two main categories:

Focal - Abnormal activity in one area of the brain. Depending
on the area of the brain affected, they may have changes in
emotion, body movements, or vision.
Temporal Lobe → lip smacking, repeated swallowing, chewing,
fright, déjà vu
Frontal Lobe → difficulty speaking, side-to-side head or eye
movements, stretching of the arms in an unusual position,
repeated rocking
Parietal Lobe → numbness, tingling, or even pain in their body,
dizziness, vision changes, a feeling as if their body does not
belong to them
Occipital Lobe → visual changes with eye pain, a feeling as if
the eyes are rapidly moving, seeing things that aren’t there,
fluttering eyelids
Generalized - Abnormal activity in all areas of the brain
2. What are the macroscopic physical symptoms of your disease? (What you detect with
your 5 senses?)
Some focal seizures consist of a sensory experience. These are considered sensory seizures.
Eyesight → Vision changes, Hallucinations, Fluttering eyes, Rapid eye movements
Hearing → Buzzing, Humming, Ringing, Hearing voices
Taste → Tasting things that aren't there
Touch → Pins and needles, Numbness, Pain
Smell → Smelling things that aren't there
3. What are the microscopic symptoms of your disease? What is happening at the
cellular level? (Things you cannot see without the aid of technology?)
How the brain works: Neurons transmit an electrical pulse and send ‘messages’ to nearby neurons and the rest
of the body using neurotransmitters, a kind of chemical messenger. They fire independently with no obvious
rhythm.
How the brain works during a seizure: The firing pattern of your neurons changes, many neurons generate
electrical pulses at the same time.
➢ During a seizure, your brain’s normal electrical activity gets disrupted
➢ Nearby groups of neurons activate in a coordinated pattern, creating a surge of activity that might be
located in one area of the brain.
➢ This scrambles the ‘messages’ that the brain sends out to the rest of the body.
➢ Because the messages are scrambled, seizures are often accompanied by uncontrollable movements and
changes in emotions or behavior.
4. What genetic/hereditary factors 5. What social factors contribute to you
contribute to you acquiring this acquiring this disease? (lifestyle
disease? choices, where you live, where you
Genetic Influence - Epilepsy runs in the family
work, etc. )
Brain Abnormalities - Brain tumors or vascular Socioeconomic status - Lower socioeconomic status
malformations such as arteriovenous malformations have a higher rate of developing seizures and epilepsy
(AVMs) and cavernous malformations, can cause Treatment gap - Differences in where and when people
epilepsy. get health care
Parental Injury - An infection in the mother, poor Work - Working in a field where you are more likely to
nutrition or oxygen deficiencies. This brain damage can sustain a head injury
result in epilepsy or cerebral palsy.
Developmental disorders - Epilepsy can sometimes be
associated with developmental disorders, such as
autism.
6. What medical technologies/procedures 7. What medical technologies/procedures
aid in the diagnosis of your disease? aid in the treatment of your
How are they used? disease? How are they used?
Consultation Medication - AEDs are the most commonly used
➢ Doctors will look at a detailed medical history to treatment for epilepsy. They help control seizures in
look for clues and rule out other conditions that around 7 out of 10 of people. They do not cure
may have caused epilepsy. epilepsy, but can stop seizures happening.
➢ Patients will have a neurological exam. They Surgery - Is most commonly used when your seizures
will be asked to recall what happens just before, are caused by a problem in a small part of your brain
during and right after they experience seizures. that can be removed without causing serious effects.
Technology There's a good chance that your seizures could stop
➢ Electroencephalogram (EEG) → This records completely after surgery.
electrical activity in the brain. The EEG can Therapies - There are several therapies that some
record unusual spikes or waves in electrical people with epilepsy feel work for them. But none has
activity patterns. been shown to reduce seizures conclusively in medical
➢ Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) & Computed studies.
tomography (CT) → May be used to look at the
cause and the location within the brain. The
scans can show scar tissue, tumors or
structural problems in the brain.

Citations:
“Epilepsy.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 7 Oct. 2021,
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20350093.
Nall, Rachel. “Focal Onset Epileptic Seizures: Types and Symptoms.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 14
Aug. 2018, https://www.healthline.com/health/epilepsy/types-partial-onset-epileptic-seizures.
Watson, Stephanie. “The Effects of Epilepsy on the Body.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 6 May 2019,
https://www.healthline.com/health/epilepsy/effects-on-body.