Some facts about epilepsy

• Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological disorders.

• It affects over 450,000 people in the UK.

• 75 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every day.

• Every year 1,000 people die as a result of epilepsy.

• Epilepsy can be caused by a stroke, a head injury or an inherent genetic defect, but in approximately 65% of cases there is no known cause.

• It can take many forms from a momentary blank spell to a dramatic major convulsion.

Whatever the cause, whatever the type of seizure — epilepsy can have a dramatic affect on an individual's life. Even with control of seizures, the quality of life for people with epilepsy can be unpredictable and restricted. Research is the key to tackling this.

Epilepsy Research UK

Epilepsy Research UK is the only national organisation exclusively dedicated to funding research into all areas of epilepsy. We give priority to those areas which have the potential to produce results in immediate problem areas, including: research leading to improvements in the accuracy of diagnosis; and research into improving the treatment and quality of life of the patient.

Developments in drug therapy and medical scanning, along with major breakthroughs in the study of the human genome, mean that great progress has been made in understanding the causes of epilepsy in recent years. Even greater advances will be made in the coming years and the research that Epilepsy Research UK funds will be at the forefront of developments to control, and perhaps even cure, epilepsy.

For more information about our work visit www.eruk.org.uk