Epilepsy is defined as a chronic disorder characterized by how many seizures?

• A. Two or more seizures
• B. One seizure
• C. Three seizures
• D. Continuous seizure activity

Answer: (A)

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder defined by recurrent unprovoked seizures. In practice, this is described as two or more unprovoked seizures occurring over time, which shows a lasting predisposition to future seizures rather than just a single event. A lone seizure can arise from reversible or temporary factors such as fever, metabolic disturbances, or acute brain injury, so it doesn’t by itself establish epilepsy. Status epilepticus, or continuous seizure activity, is a medical emergency and is not the same as epilepsy. Therefore, the description of two or more unprovoked seizures best captures the defining idea.