The epileptic attacks They can be unleashed by several factors, including stress. The interaction between the nervous system and it chronic stress It can increase the probability of epileptic crisis in predisposed individuals.
Understand the relationship between epilepsy and stress It is essential to recognize the signals of a possible attack and adopt adequate preventive strategies. Proper information can help not only those suffering from epilepsy, but also families and caregivers to effectively manage crises, thus improving the quality of the patient’s life.
In this article we will answer several questions, for example if there is really theEmotional stress epilepsyor what is the difference between convulsions and epileptic crises.
Epilepsy attacks: what are they?
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent epileptic crises, due to an anomalous and sudden electric activity in the brain. This means that a single convulsive crisis cannot be considered epilepsy.
Crisis can manifest themselves in different ways, depending on the brain areas involved, and may vary from short moments of absence to generalized convulsions with loss of consciousness And involuntary movements.
There are two main types of epileptic crisis: focal crises and generalized crises:
- Focal crisis: They originate in a specific area of the brain and can be simple (without loss of consciousness) or complex (with alteration of the state of consciousness). Symptoms may include involuntary movements, sensory alterations or language disorders
- Generalized crisis: They involve both brain hemispheres from the beginning and cause a loss of consciousness. They can manifest themselves with convulsions (tonic-clonic crises), absence or abnormal movements.
Symptoms of epileptic crises
THE Symptoms of an epileptic attack They can be different depending on the person and the type of crisis. Among the most common signals, which occur before the start of a crisis, we find:
- increase in anxiety and tension
- mental confusion and alteration of perceptions
- Concentration difficulty
- loss of consciousness.
There convulsive crisis in itself, however, it can be manifested with:
- uncontrolled motor spasms and muscle, such as tremors and shots
- Educational and stiffening of the body
- States of absence and dissociation
- sensations of déjà vu or sensory hallucinations.
After the acute phase of the epileptic attack, symptoms such as headache, sudden fatigue, confusion and loss of memory appear generally.
Epileptic crisis: psychological and physical causes
Why do epileptic crises from anxiety and stress take place? At the base there are several mechanisms, including neurochemical alterations, hormonal changes, sleep disturbances and emotional and physical overload.
Prolonged and chronic stress affects the levels of neurotransmitters regulating neuronal excitability. The cortisol and others stress hormones They can increase brain activity making the encephal more vulnerable to crises. In addition, chronic stress is often associated with insomnia or poor quality sleep, factors that can encourage epileptic crises. Long periods of intense stress can foreign the nervous system, preparing epileptic episodes.
Some people present one genetic predisposition to epilepsy, which can derive from specific mutations in the genes that regulate neuronal activity. In addition, neurological conditions such as brain malformations, cranial trauma, central nervous system infections or degenerative diseases can increase the risk of developing epilepsy.
In addition to the predisposing factors, there are various external elements that can facilitate the onset of epileptic crises, including the sleep deprivationThe consumption of alcohol and the intermittent lights.
Manage the causes of stress epileptic crises
There Stress management It can help optimize the control and prevention of epileptic crises, as well as psychiatric comorbilities associated with epilepsy.
The consequences of psychiatric disorders and epilepsy are intrinsically stressful events that erode personal resilience (Rutter, 1985; Tedrus et al., 2020), leaving people affected vulnerable to further unknown responses of cortisol stress.
There are therapies such as, for example, the stimulation of the vagus nerveused to treat both epilepsy and depression, which causes a reduction in resting at rest in the hippocampus, amygdala and other regions involved in the adjustment of the HPA hypothalamic-pituitary axis (Kraus et al., 2007).
The current options of pharmacological treatment for epilepsy And psychiatric comorbilities are limited and represent a challenge, since anti-crisis drugs can potentially aggravate mood disorders (Shneker et al., 2009), while antidepressants can lower the convulsive threshold.
Various methods have been explored, including behavioral, cognitive and emotional approaches, to help patients develop effective strategies to manage stress and epileptic crises (Kotwas et al., 2017).
These approaches include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mind-body techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, relaxation and yoga. By reducing stress, it is possible to limit the onset of crises and their frequency and gravity, or control them through the Biofeedback of electrodermal activity (Micoulaud-Frranchi et al., 2014).
Studies have shown that mindfulness practice can reduce anxiety (tang et al., 2015), depressive symptoms and improve the quality of life and self -esteem in patients with epilepsy. The practice of yoga has also shown positive effects on the quality of life and on the frequency of epileptic crises.
A multidisciplinary approach for the management of epilepsy
Stress represents a significant trigger for epileptic crises, but through correct information and adoption of adequate strategies it is possible to reduce the risk and improve the quality of life of people with epilepsy. A multidisciplinary approach that intact medicine, psychological support and correct lifestyles can make a difference in the management of the pathology.
