Epilepsy is a medical condition in which nerve cells in the brain now and then send out excessive electrical discharges, causing the episodes that are called seizures. Epilepsy affects over 2 million Americans of all ages. Seizures can range from an odd sensation in the stomach and a vague feeling of confusion to whole-body stiffness and jerky motions, depending on the way that the excessive electrical impulses affect the brain activity. Once the seizure runs its course, usually within seconds or a few minutes, the brain enters a recovery period and then returns to its normal function. About 65 percent of new epilepsy cases have no obvious cause. Of the rest, the more common reasons include stroke, congenital abnormalities (those we are born with), brain tumors, trauma, and infection. Doctors routinely search for the cause with testing such as MRI or blood studies. Cleveland Clinic's Epilepsy Center team diagnoses and treats more than 10,000 patients with epilepsy each year by delivering highly specialized care for adults and children in state-of-the-art facilities for evaluating patients for and performing epilepsy surgery. During this tour, Dr. Elaine Wyllie Pediatric Epilepsy Specialist at Cleveland Clinic will discuss: What exactly is epilepsy and what causes it? Weâ??ve heard that epilepsy is more common than some people think, affecting over 2 million Americans of all ages. What is the best treatment for this condition? You mentioned surgery as the best treatment. That almost sounds drastic. Shouldnâ??t brain surgery be a last resort? It still sounds a little frightening. How risky is the surgery? How do specialists determine whether a person will benefit from surgery? How can our listeners learn more about epilepsy surgery and what we spoke about here today? (clevelandclinic.org/epilepsy) INTERVIEW WITH: Dr. Elaine Wyllie, epilepsy specialist at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Wyllie is certified by the American Boards of Pediatrics, Sleep Medicine, and Psychiatry and Neurology, with Special Competencies in Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy. She has been on the Castle Connolly list of Americaâ??s Best Doctors for many years, as well as on several other national and regional Top Doctorsâ?? lists. (7-9:30 am ET