Dr Dominic Heaney and Professor Simon Shorvon are epilepsy specialists at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the National Society for Epilepsy in London, England. They provide an overview of epilepsy, discussing its causes, the frequency with which it occurs throughout the world, definitions of the various types of seizures, and a review of the tests that are used for diagnosis and to monitor response to treatment.

Professor Shorvon is an internationally known expert in the field of epilepsy and serves as editor of the official publication of the International League Against Epilepsy. He is therefore able to provide a valuable international perspective.

As Dr Heaney and Professor Shorvon discuss, epilepsy may go undiagnosed and untreated, especially in the developing world, where access to medical care is limited. The burden of epilepsy is also great in the developed world. In the USA, the cost of epilepsy is 12.2 billion dollars a year. Only 15% of this is related to direct medical costs (doctors, tests, medications). Eighty-five percent is in ‘indirect costs’ such as missed educational opportunities, underemployment, and unemployment. Unemployment affects 25% of people with epilepsy in the USA, and this is likely to be a particular problem for women.