Glossary
A level
Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, part of the tertiary further education system [UK].
Absence seizure
A non-convulsive generalized seizure marked by the abrupt, transient loss or impairment of consciousness (usually a blank stare, not subsequently remembered).
Adenosine
A chemical important to human function.
AED
Anti-epileptic drug, used to treat seizures in epilepsy.
AES
American Epilepsy Society [USA].
AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a disease involving a severe loss of the body's cellular immunity, which greatly lowers its resistance to infection and malignancy.
Anti-epileptic
Anti-seizure.
Apnea/apnoea
Temporary cessation of breathing.
Arrhythmia
Disorder of heart rate or rhythm.
Aspiration
Bringing foreign matter into the body upon breathing in.
Asystole
Or flatline, state in which the heart ceases to beat.
Autonomic
Pertaining to the autonomic nervous system which is the portion of the nervous system that is responsible for the unconscious regulation of vital bodily functions such as breathing and digestion.
Autopsy
Or postmortem, is the examination of a dead body to determine cause of death.
Beta blockers
A type of drug that blocks the action of the sympathetic nervous system of the heart, resulting in a relief of stress on the heart.
Bradycardia
The slowing down of the heart rate.
Capnography
The monitoring of the concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the respiratory gases.
Cardiac repolarization
The phase of the cardiac cycle during which the electrical excitation of the heart muscle returns to the resting condition.
Cardio
Of, or relating to, the heart.
CEA
Canadian Epilepsy Alliance [Canada].
Channelopathy disease
Caused by disturbed function of ion channels or the proteins that regulate them.
CO2
Carbon Dioxide.
Combination therapy
Or, polytherapy, refers to the use of more than one drug.
Complex partial seizure
An epileptic seizure that originates in a specific area (focus) of the brain associated with impairment of consciousness.
CPR
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
CT scan
Computerized Axial Tomography or CAT scan, a sectional view of the body constructed by x-ray computed tomography.
CURE
DBA/2 mice
Dilute Brown Non-Agouti mice (refers to coat color).
Defibrillator
An electronic device used to restore rhythm of a fibrillating heart by applying an electric shock to it.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic Acid.
Dravet’s syndrome
Also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI); a rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy for which there is currently no cure.
ECG
Electrocardiogram or EKG, records changes in electrical potential during the heartbeat.
Edema/oedema
Abnormal excess accumulation of fluid in the cavities or tissues of the body.
EEG
Electroencephalogram, a diagnostic test of brain electrical activity.
EF
Epilepsy Foundation [USA].
EKG
Electrocardiogram or ECG, records changes in electrical potential during the heartbeat.
Electrocerebral
Pertaining to electrical activity in the brain.
EMU
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.
Epilepsy
A neurological condition characterized by two or more unprovoked seizures.
ER
Emergency Room.
ESN
Epilepsy Specialist Nurse.
Fibrillation
Muscular twitching involving individual muscle fibers acting without coordination.
GP, General Practitioner
Family doctor [UK].
GPRD
General Practice Research Database [UK].
GPS
Global Positioning System.
Grand mal seizures
Or tonic-clonic seizures. Generalized seizures associated with loss of consciousness that begin with the body stiffening (tonic phase) followed by rhythmic jerking (clonic phase).
HRV
Heart Rate Variability.
HTA
Human Tissue Authority [UK].
Hypercapnia
Presence of excess carbon dioxide in the blood.
Hypoventilation
Deficient ventilation of the lungs resulting in decreased levels of oxygen and/or increase levels of carbon dioxide content in the blood.
Hypoxemia
Deficient oxygenation of the blood.
Hypoxia
Deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body.
ICD-10
International Classification of Diseases, 10th and most recent revision.
Ictal
Relating to a seizure.
Idiopathic Epilepsy
Epilepsy arising spontaneously or from an unknown cause.
Intractable Epilepsy
Epilepsy that is not easily managed or controlled.
Ion channel
A structure in the membrane of nerve and muscle cells through which ions enter and exit the cell. In an epileptic seizure, the ion channels of the neurons of the brain are affected, so that there is a much greater outflow of ions than normal.
KCNA1 Gene
Or, potassium voltage-gated channel (KCN), shaker-related subfamily, member 1 gene. It provides instructions for making one part (the alpha subunit) of a potassium channel called Kv1.1.
KCNH2 Gene
Or, potassium voltage-gated channel (KCN), subfamily H, member 2 gene. It provides instructions for making potassium channels in heart muscle, which play a major role in maintaining regular heart rhythm.
KCNQ1 Gene
Or, potassium voltage-gated channel (KCN), KQT-like subfamily, member 1 gene. It provides instructions for making potassium channels in heart muscle which play a major role in maintaining regular heart rhythm.
LQTS, Long QT Syndrome
A disorder of the heart’s electrical activity.
Medical Data Registry
Systematic collection of clearly defined health and demographic data for people with a certain health condition.
Medical Practitioner
Family doctor [US/Canada].
Mortemus
MORTality in Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Study [France].
MP
Member of Parliament [UK].
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Neurodeficit
Neurological deficit, any defect or absence of function of a peripheral nerve or a system.
Neuron
A nerve cell.
NGO
Non government organization.
NICE
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [UK], formerly known as National Institute for Clinical Excellence
NIH
NREM
Non Rapid Eye Movement.
Oxygen saturation/desaturation
A measure of how much oxygen the blood is carrying as a percentage of the maximum it could carry (saturation); when the blood does not have enough oxygen (desaturation).
Parasympathetic nervous system
The part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for decreasing blood pressure, slowing heart rate and increasing digestion.
Petit Mal
Epilepsy characterized by absence seizures.
PGES
Postictal Generalized Electroencephalographic Suppression.
Placebo
An inert or innocuous substance.
Polytherapy
Or, ‘combination therapy’, refers to the use of more than one drug.
Postictal
Relating to the period following a seizure.
Postmortem
Or autopsy, is the examination of a dead body to determine cause of death.
Prodrome
Early symptom indicating the onset of a disease or illness.
PUFA
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.
Pulse Oximetry
A non-invasive method of monitoring the level of oxygen in blood.
PWE
People With Epilepsy.
QCDR
Queensland Child Death Register [Australia].
QPEN
Queensland Paediatric Epilepsy Network [Australia].
QT Interval
Time interval on an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) that represents the beginning of the heart ventricles’ contraction until the end of relaxation.
REM
Rapid Eye Movement.
Repolarization
The phase of the cardiac cycle during which the electrical excitation of the heart muscle returns to the resting condition.
SCN5A Gene
Or, sodium channel (SCN), voltage-gated, type V, alpha subunit gene. It provides instructions for making sodium channels, which are abundant in heart muscle and play a major role in maintaining normal heart rhythm.
Serotonin
Also called 5-HT or 5-hydroxytryptamine, a neurotransmitter (substance used to transmit nerve impulses across synapses) and powerful vasoconstrictor.
SIDS
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
SIGN
Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network, develops evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the National Health Service in Scotland [UK].
SMR
Standardized Mortality Rate.
SSRI
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, class of antidepressants that inhibit the inactivation of the neurotransmitter serotonin by blocking its reuptake by nerve cell endings.
Status Epilepticus
Single prolonged seizure or a series of seizures without intervening full recovery of consciousness.
SUDEP
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.
SUDEP Research Initiative
Research collaboration between King's College, London and SUDEP Action [UK].
Sympathetic nervous system
The part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for ‘fight or flight’ response: increased heart rate, raising blood pressure, decreasing digestion; opposite to parasympathetic nervous system.
Symptomatic Epilepsy
Epilepsy arising from a particular cause (eg brain damage).
Syncope
Or fainting, temporary loss of consciousness resulting from insufficient blood flow to the brain.
Tachyarrhythmia
Rapid irregular heartbeat.
Tachycardia
Speeding up of the heart rate.
Terminal Remission
Refers to patients still in remission (no seizures for 5 or more years) at the end of a follow-up period.
Tonic-clonic seizures
Or grand mal seizures. Generalized seizures associated with loss of consciousness that begin with the body stiffening (tonic phase) followed by rhythmic jerking (clonic phase).
Toxicology
A branch of science concerned with poisons, their nature, effects, and detection.
UCD
Underlying Cause of Death
UCL
University College London [UK].
Vagus nerve
The tenth cranial nerve and part of the autonomic nervous system.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)
A procedure involving external stimulation of the vagus nerve which can lead to an improvement of some forms of epilepsy.
Verbal Autopsy
Is a method of ascertaining cause of death from the collection of information regarding symptoms, signs and circumstances preceding death obtained from the deceased's caretakers and witnesses present.
VNS
Vagal Nerve Stimulation.