Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, with about 50 new cases per 100,000 people each year. It affects roughly 1% of the population and one-third of patients have refractory seizures. About 75% of patients present in childhood, reflecting the growing susceptibility of the developing brain to seizures. The classification of seizures is determined by their onset and can be divided into four types: focal, generalized, unknown or unclassifiable. The latest classification elaborates the basic categorization system previously described, extending the "motor" and "non-motor" groupings to include all three types of seizures (focal, generalized, and unknown).

Epilepsy is a difficult diagnosis with no simple, attainable gold standard. The key to diagnosis is a comprehensive history and reliable eyewitness account. Because no single symptom or sign is specific to epilepsy, determining whether a seizure has occurred is based on a combination of signs and symptoms. The primary treatment for diagnosed patients is administration of anti-seizure medications. The aim is to protect the individual from adverse effects that could potentially endanger the individual's standard of living and to terminate seizures immediately.

Epilepsy is a treatable condition; 80% of patients remain seizure-free and almost 50% remain seizure-free even after treatment is stopped. With more than 20 drugs used in treatment, it is possible to obtain effective treatment at rates close to 70% of diagnosed individuals. With this review we wrote, we aimed to summarize this very broad subject with recent articles.