Epilepsy and stroke are neurological conditions caused by abnormalities in the brain. A stroke, caused by a burst or blocked blood vessel in the brain, affects about 795,000 people each year, according to Washington University in St. Louis. The Epilepsy Foundation states that each year doctors diagnose 200,000 new cases of epilepsy, or seizure disorder, a condition that disrupts the brain's electrical activity. Patients who have epilepsy have more than one seizure during their lives. Both disorders affect patients' consciousness, mobility and mental functions.
Changes in Consciousness
When an epileptic patient has a seizure, she may lose consciousness; however, the amount of time of unconsciousness depends on the type of seizure. For example, patients who have petit mal seizures have staring spells with a brief loss of consciousness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other types of seizures, like grand mal seizures, cause a complete loss of consciousness.
Patients who have a stroke may also have a change in consciousness. The National Institutes of Health notes that a stroke can cause sleepiness, unconsciousness or a coma.
Movement Symptoms
If the stroke or epileptic seizure occurs on the motor regions of the brain, patients can have problems moving. For example, during a stroke, a patient may have muscle weakness on one side of his body, such as in his leg, face or arm, according to the National Institutes of Health. A loss of balance or coordination may occur with a stroke, causing problems with walking.
During an epileptic seizure, a patient may have uncontrolled movements. For example, a simple partial seizure causes patients to have involuntary jerking movements, while a complex partial seizure causes patients to twitch or chew, according to the Mayo Clinic. Myoclonic seizures cause jerking movements and grand mal seizures cause shaking. A loss of muscle tone can occur with atonic seizures.
Changes in Cognitive Function
The Mayo Clinic notes that during or after an epileptic seizure, patients can have temporary confusion in which they have problems thinking clearly. Epilepsy may change the patients' sensations temporarily, such as affecting their ability to smell or taste.
A stroke also affects the patients' sensations, such as their ability to feel pain or temperature changes. Patients can have memory loss, affecting their ability to recall memories or form new memories. Other symptoms of a stroke include speech problems, and difficulties with writing and reading.
