Seizures following a traumatic brain injury are quite common. The important question about the seizure is whether they are categorized as epileptic or non-epileptic. Epilepsy is a disorder in which the brain abnormally discharges electrical impulses that trigger seizing of muscle groups in the body. Traumatic brain injury is one the causes of epilepsy. Among people who have experienced TBI, two to five percent develop epilepsy. Onset is most likely in the year following the TBI, but it may not happen until several years after the person sustains the injury. In general, penetrating brain injuries are more likely to cause epilepsy. When a TBI survivor has epilepsy, the prognosis is that seizures are not a risk for the short term, but rather will remain a risk for years to come.
One can also have non-epileptic seizures following a traumatic brain injury. Indeed, as many as 50% of persons with penetrating head injuries suffer from a seizure within a week of the injury. For closed head injuries, 25% of such persons actually develop epilepsy. A diagnosis of epilepsy leaves the individual with an treatable condition on top of the original TBI.
