does epileptic seziures affect cogntive abilites?

Hi cam2light,

Thanks for your question. Epilepsy can in fact impair cognitive abilities. However, given that there are so many types of seizures all caused by different activities in the brain-- it is impossible to give someone a definitive answer on whether or not it will affect cognition.

About 80% of people living with seizures, who are being helped by modern therapy, can live very normal lives and go for periods without seizures. However, a person who constantly has seizures and resists treatment, may not have the same prognosis.

If you or someone you know suffers from Epilepsy and you would like to know how this had affected their cognitive behavior, the best person to ask is their attending physician-- who should have all of this person's history and medical records.

You can also learn more about Epilepsy and the different types of seizures, here:
http://www.epilepsy.com/101/ep101_seizure

Wishing you the very best,

Rosa