Causes of a Seizure

While the exact cause of some seizures can be hard to pinpoint, many seizures can be classified as either provoked or unprovoked. A provoked seizure would include traumatic injuries to the head, whereas an unprovoked seizure would include seizures caused by, for example, a congenital defect.

Unprovoked (“natural”) seizures:

Some seizures may be caused by “natural” phenomena occurring in the body, such as a congenital defect or a chemical imbalance. One example of this is a condition called GLUT-1 deficiency. Other examples include:

• genetic factors
• congenital (present at birth) problems or conditions
• metabolic or chemical imbalances in the body
• fever/infection
• infection
• neurological problems
• Alzheimer's disease
• unknown reasons

Provoked seizures:

Some seizures are considered provoked if they are caused by an event that happened to the individual. Brain injuries are often the cause of provoked seizures. Other examples include:

• birth trauma
• alcohol or drugs
• head or brain trauma
• progressive brain disease
• stroke
• unknown reasons
• brain tumors
• hemimegalencephaly
• cortical dysplasia
• mesial temporal sclerosis
• drug withdrawal
• medications

Request an appointment

For more information about the causes of seizures or to meet with our doctors, request an appointment at the Epilepsy Center.