Epilepsy is a neurological condition that from time to time produces brief disturbances in the normal electrical functions of the brain. Normal brain function is made possible by millions of tiny electrical charges passing between nerve cells in the brain and to all parts of the body. When someone has epilepsy, this normal pattern may be interrupted by intermittent bursts of electrical energy that are much more intense than usual. They may affect a person's consciousness, bodily movements or sensations for a short time.

These physical changes are called epileptic seizures. That is why Epilepsy is sometimes called a seizure disorder. The unusual bursts of energy may occur in just one area of the brain (partial seizures) , or may affect nerve cells throughout the brain (generalized seizures). Normal brain function cannot return until the electrical bursts subside. Conditions in the brain that produce these episodes may have been present since birth, or they may develop later in life due to injury, infections, structural abnormalities in the brain, exposure to toxic agents, or for reasons that are still not well understood. Many illnesses or severe injuries can affect the brain enough to produce a single seizure. When seizures continue to occur for unknown reasons or because of an underlying problem that cannot be corrected, the condition is known as epilepsy. Epilepsy affects people of all ages, all nations, and all races. Epilepsy can also occur in animals, including dogs, cats, rabbits, and mice.

Seizures are a symptom of epilepsy. Epilepsy is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce sudden bursts of electrical energy that disrupt other brain functions. Having a single seizure does not necessarily mean a person has epilepsy. High fever, severe head injury, lack of oxygen--a number of factors can affect the brain enough to cause a single seizure. Epilepsy, on the other hand, is an underlying condition (or permanent brain injury) that affects the delicate systems which govern how electrical energy behaves in the brain, making it susceptible to recurring seizures.

In about seven out of ten people with epilepsy, no cause can be found. Among the rest, the cause may be any one of a number of things that can make a difference in the way the brain works. For example, head injuries or lack of oxygen during birth may damage the delicate electrical system in the brain. Other causes include brain tumors, genetic conditions (such as tuberous sclerosis) , lead poisoning, problems in development of the brain before birth, and infections like meningitis or encephalitis. Epilepsy is often thought of as a condition of childhood, but it can develop at any time of life. About 30 percent of the 125,000 new cases every year begin in childhood, particularly in early childhood and around the time of adolescence. Another period of relatively high incidence is in people over the age of 65.

Headache is defined as pain in the head that is located above the eyes or the ears, behind the head (occipital), or in the back of the upper neck. Headache has many causes.

There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not associated with other diseases. Examples of primary headaches are migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by associated disease. The associated disease may be minor or serious and life threatening.

Tension headaches are the most common type of primary headache; as many as 90% of adults have had or will have tension headaches. Tension headaches are more common among women than men.

Migraine headaches are the second most common type of primary headache. An estimated 28 million people in the United States (about 12% of the population) will experience migraine headaches. Migraine headaches affect children as well as adults. Before puberty, boys and girls are affected equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women than men are affected. An estimated 6% of men and up to 18% of women will experience a migraine headache.

In the United States, migraine headaches often go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed as tension or sinus headaches. As a result, many migraine sufferers do not receive effective treatment.

Cluster headaches are a rare type primary headache, affecting 0.1% of the population. An estimated 85% of cluster headache sufferers are men. The average age of cluster headache sufferers is 28-30 years, although headaches may begin in childhood.

Secondary headaches have diverse causes, ranging from serious and life threatening conditions such as brain tumors, strokes, meningitis, and subarachnoid hemorrhages to less serious but common conditions such as withdrawal from caffeine and discontinuation of analgesics.

Many people suffer from "mixed" headache disorders in which tension headaches or secondary headaches trigger migraine headaches.

Symptoms typically appear before a child is 3 years old and last throughout life. Children with autism can display a wide range of symptoms, which can vary in severity from mild to disabling. General symptoms that may be present to some degree in a child with autism include:

• Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding language.
• Inability to participate in a conversation, even when the child has the ability to speak.
• Difficulty with non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions.
• Difficulty with social interaction, including relating to people and to his or her surroundings.
• Inability to make friends and preferring to play alone.
• Unusual ways of playing with toys and other objects, such as only lining them up a certain way.
• Lack of imagination.
• Difficulty adjusting to changes in routine or familiar surroundings, or an unreasonable insistence on following routines in detail.
• Repetitive body movements or patterns of behavior, such as hand flapping, spinning and head banging.
• Preoccupation with unusual objects or parts of objects.

People with a form of autism, called savantism, have exceptional skills in specific areas such as music, art and numbers. People with savantism are able to perform these skills without lessons or practice.

Babies develop at their own pace, some more quickly than others. However, you should consider an evaluation for autism if any of the following apply:

• Your child does not babble or coo by 12 months of age.
• Your child does not gesture, such as point or wave, by 12 months of age.
• Your child does not say single words by 16 months.
• Your child does not say two-word phrases on his or her own (rather than just repeating what someone else says) by 24 months.
• Your child has lost any language or social skills (at any age).

The exact cause of autism is not known, but research has pointed to several possible factors, including genetics (heredity), certain types of infections and problems occurring at birth.

Recent studies strongly suggest that some people have a genetic predisposition to autism, meaning that a susceptibility to develop the condition may be passed on from parents to children. Researchers are looking for clues about which genes contribute to this increased vulnerability. In some children, environmental factors may also play a role. Studies of people with autism have found abnormalities in several regions of the brain, which suggest that autism results from a disruption of early brain development while still in utero.

Other theories suggest:

• The body's immune system may inappropriately produce antibodies that attack the brains of children causing autism.
• Abnormalities in brain structures cause autistic behavior
• Children with autism have abnormal timing of the growth of their brains. Early in childhood, the brains of autistic children grow faster and larger than those of normal children. Later, when normal children's brains get bigger and better organized, autistic kids' brains grow more slowly.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects 3%-5% percent of all American children. There are several types of ADHD: a predominantly inattentive subtype, a predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype, and a combined subtype. ADHD is usually diagnosed in childhood, although the condition can continue into the adult years.

If ADHD is suspected, the diagnosis should be made by a professional with training in ADHD. This includes child psychiatrists, psychologists, developmental/behavioral pediatricians, behavioral neurologists, and clinical social workers. After ruling out other possible reasons for the child's behavior, the specialist checks the child's school and medical records and talks to teachers and parents who have filled out a behavior rating scale for the child.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often occurs with other disorders, referred to as comorbidities of ADHD. The combination of oppositional defiant disorder ADHD and its comorbidities presents extra challenges to affected individuals, educators, and health care providers. Diagnosis and treatment are more difficult when ADHD and another condition are present in the same individual.

About half of children with ADHD referred to clinics have behavior disorders as well as ADHD. Oppositional defiant disorder is one of the most common disorders occurring with ADHD. Conduct disorder is less common, can be significantly disruptive, and is difficult to treat. Increased injuries and strained peer relationships are also common in this population.