For those who experience seizures, or know somebody who does, understanding them and being aware of the signs are a crucial aspect of living with epilepsy.

Jefferson just released a collection of research that offers a new idea about how seizures begin.

People who experience epileptic seizures often explain the episode to be similar to an earthquake: it starts slowly from within, eventually growing to a level out of their control. But the studies out of Jefferson provide data suggesting that seizures actually begin with a spike in inhibition, rendering patients confused, unable to form complete sentences among other things.

These neurons, which cause the rise in inhibitions that lower brain activity, may be to blame for the emergence of a seizure.