A seizure threshold is the balance between excitatory and inhibitory forces in the brain which affects how susceptible one is to seizures. Those diagnosed with epilepsy or certain other neurological conditions are vulnerable to sudden new seizures if the threshold is upset, and so must be especially careful and compliant with their therapeutic drug regimen, if they must use anticonvulsants. Drugs such as the antidepressant and nicotinic antagonist bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) and the analgesic tramadol (Ultram, Ultram ER, Ultracet) can lower the seizure threshold. So can other factors, including: exposure to neon or laser flashing lights, lengthy periods of fasting, malnutrition, starvation, lengthy periods of high stress and/or fear, fatigue and exhaustion, uncontrolled diabetes, other endocrine and/or metabolic irregularities (like electrolyte or hormonal imbalances), cancer, and certain disorders of the nervous, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems.
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Famous quotes containing the words seizure and/or threshold:
“Shut not so soon; the dull-eyed night
Has not yet begun
To make a seizure on the light,
Or to seal up the sun.”
—Robert Herrick (1591–1674)
“One could love reason like an Encyclopaedist and still be favorably inclined toward mysticism. Throughout the ages, up to the eyes of van Gogh, when he looked at a coffee pot or a garden path, mysticism has expanded the human realm by all sorts of threshold experiences.”
—Robert Musil (1880–1942)