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A risk factor is something that makes a person more likely to develop seizures and epilepsy. Sometimes a risk factor can causescarring of the brain or lead to areas
ofthe brain not developing or working right.Risk factors include:
Brain tumors
Fever-related (febrile)
unusually long
seizures
that
are
repeated
Pathophysiology
The paroxysmal depolarization shift (PDS) is the pathophysiological
cellular phenomenon that underlies all types of epileptic seizures. PDSs
are cellular events in which rapidly repetitive action potentials are not
followed by the usual refractory period, thereby generating a prolonged
membrane depolarization
When a PDS occurs as an abnormally prolonged run of action potentials
during sustained membrane depolarization in a single neuron, it will
increased glutamate (Na+) concentration which is associated with influx
of cations initially, and it followed by increased GABA concentration with
efflux of potassium (K+). Paroxysmal depolarization shifts (PDS) by
altering the usual balance of Na+ and K+ ion conductance across
neuronal membranes. Increased Na+ conductance creates a situation in
which a single action potential initiates sustained depolarization as a PDS.
Decreased K+ conductance also can predispose to PDS.