What is the most common cause of seizures in adults?

• A. Fever-related convulsions
• B. Subtherapeutic levels of anticonvulsant medications
• C. Brain tumor
• D. Electrolyte imbalance

Answer: (B)

Maintaining anticonvulsant therapy within the therapeutic range is crucial for preventing seizures in adults with epilepsy. When drug levels drop below what’s needed to control neuronal excitability, breakthrough seizures become likely because the brain isn’t receiving enough medication to suppress abnormal electrical activity. Subtherapeutic levels are most often due to missed doses or poor adherence, but can also result from drug interactions that speed up metabolism, changes in absorption, or dosing errors. Fever-related convulsions are mainly a pediatric phenomenon and aren’t the typical cause in adults. A brain tumor can trigger seizures but is less common as the immediate cause than issues with medication levels. Electrolyte imbalances can precipitate seizures, but they usually act as an acute trigger in the context of another underlying problem rather than the usual cause of adult seizures.