Do seizures cause significant neural damage? I am looking for the evidence that proves conclusively and incontrovertibly that occasional seizures cause significant neural damage. The quality of research that I have seen is very poor and lacking in objectivity being funded by the pharmaceutical industry and with the sole objective of justifying the current medical practice of automotive prescription of AEDs in all cases, despite the cognitive and physical damage they do. Scientific measurements can sound impressive but in the absence of observable and objective verification that it represents significant consequences it has no context and is meaningless. I have found research that suggests cognitive decline occurs over time but which takes no account of long-term use of AEDs. The reason for my asking is that my wife who suffered a serious Subarachnoid Haemorrhage last year was prescribed AEDs following a seizure while still in the early stage of recovery. The AED very heavily sedated her and put her recovery on hold. The doctors insisted that they had to follow standard medical practice and ignored my plea for her to be allowed to recover saying that they had to balance the need to prevent seizures against the effect of the AED on her. She remained heavily sedated until she was moved out of hospital and into a private care home. I persuaded the doctor there to give her a chance and he began to reduce the dose of the medication. My wife immediately began to wake up and to resume her recovery. But the danger hangs over her of being put back on the full dose if she has another seizure because he says would have to follow standard practice. There is the potential for her to then remain in that condition for the rest of her life. Is there any research into understanding the causes of epilepsy and of alternative non drug treatments?