A disease characterized by recurrent seizures. To be diagnosed, need to have 2 unprovoked seizures occurring > 24 hours apart. Or one seizure in a patient w/high risk for recurrence. Patients may also outgrow the diagnosis (i.e. if dx in childhood, and then szr free x 10y, off meds x 5y). Epilepsy is often idiopathic, in particular w/onset during childhood. Can also be related to structural brain disease (i.e. brain damaged by trauma, tumor, stroke infection, Alzheimers, etc.), metabolic disorders, genetic predispositions.