Prevention of Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

Every year, more than 500,000 people in the United States have brain injuries caused by cranial trauma.1 2 3 The incidence of brain injury is highest in the young adult population. In the majority, brain injury is manifested only by a brief loss of consciousness, and the risk of subsequent epilepsy in these patients is similar to that in the general population. About 15 percent, however, have severe injury.1 , 2 The mortality among patients with severe brain injury (those with prolonged coma, intracranial bleeding, or both) is high: less than 50 percent will survive their injury.1 , 2 The survivors of severe head injury are . . .