Why do seizures impair consciousness and how can we reverse this?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Consciousness disorders occurring during seizures are a major source of disability in people with epilepsy. The purpose of this review is to show recent developments in the assessment and understanding of consciousness disorders in epilepsy.

RECENT FINDINGS: The most frequent alterations in consciousness are alterations in the level of awareness. They are linked to disruptions on a large-scale network of fronto-parietal associative systems in different forms of focal seizures or in absences. Different theories account for these alterations.

SUMMARY: Although there is no specific treatment for 'consciousness,' high expectations are placed on brain stimulation techniques, which need to be better defined in the future in terms of targets and parameters.