An assessment of current views on epilepsy

The current neurologic literature tends to equate the term "epilepsy" with "epileptic seizures" and regards the condition mainly as a symptom of several different neurologic disorders. This has led to the creation of a great variety of "epilepsies" and a proposal to establish an International Classification of Epilepsies and Epileptic Syndromes. The assumptions underlying the proposed classification were reviewed, and it was pointed out that in spite of the differences in manifestations and etiologies there may be an underlying commonality. The suggestion is made that epilepsy may be viewed as a process that can express itself in various degrees of intensity, and a definition is proposed that takes into account not only the ictal but also the interictal phenomena. The implications for future research directed toward the solution of the epilepsy problem are discussed.