Epilepsy vs. Isolated Seizure: What’s the Difference?
In this video, neurologist Padmaja Kundula, MD, explains the difference between isolated seizures and epilepsy, what to do if someone has a seizure, and how the conditions are diagnosed.
If you look inside the brain during the seizure, it resembles a full-on lightning storm. The brain contains billions of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate with each other by creating and receiving electrical impulses.
When someone comes to the emergency room with a seizure, doctors need to determine if the seizure was a one-time, correctable event, if there’s a chance the person may have another seizure, or if they may have a condition called epilepsy.
- Padmaja Kandula, MD, FAES, FACNSDr. Kandula is a neurologist specializing in seizures and epilepsy at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City.
Interested in an alternative formulation to zonisamide capsules?
You may be eligible to save on your treatment with GoodRx.
GoodRx Health information and resources are reviewed by our editorial staff with medical and healthcare policy and pricing experience. See our editorial policy for more detail. We also provide access to services offered by GoodRx and our partners when we think these services might be useful to our visitors. We may receive compensation when a user decides to leverage these services, but making them available does not influence the medical content our editorial staff provides.
Full Prescribing Information
© 2025 Azurity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks referred to are the property of their respective owners. PP-ZON-US-0138
References
Kiriakopoulos, E. (n.d.). Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES): cause, diagnosis and treatment. Epilepsy Foundation.
Schachter, S.C. (2022). Seizures in adults (beyond the basics). UpToDate.