*2.1.3 Aromatherapy*

Aromatherapy can be useful (for achieving a state of relaxation) as a component of epilepsy behavioral treatment. However, its use is more justified for the treatment of conditions, accompanying epilepsy, such as anxiety and depression. In the application of aromatherapy for patients with epilepsy, camphora, sage, and rosemary should be avoided because these substances are known to aggravate patients' condition and increase the number of epileptic seizures [10].

In Asia-Pacific region, they actively use acupuncture as a nonpharmacological method of epilepsy treatment. There is data on the use of acupuncture for patients with stroke in order to avoid poststroke epilepsy. Weng et al. showed that patients with stroke receiving acupuncture had significantly less probability of poststroke epilepsy compared to those who did not receive such treatment (p < 0.0001). However, defensive effects, associated with acupuncture, need further exploration [29].

Some authors report neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and neurotrophic effects of acupuncture and electroacupuncture. These effects are explained by the amplification of recurrent inhibition of the brain cortex and hippocampus with the liberation of different neurotransmitters, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin. However, due to the lack of controlled clinical trials, those methods cannot be recommended as reliably effective and safe in epileptology [30].

### *2.1.4 Physical activity*

Patients with epilepsy experience a range of social restrictions, leading to their external and internal stigmatization. These limitations include the employment problem, driving prohibition, and restriction of *physical activity*. However, it is a well-known fact that physical exercises lead to better functional adaptation [31]. Patients with epilepsy, involved in sport, can receive the same benefits of physical activity as healthy people, including increase in performance efficiency and tolerance, weight loss, and cardiovascular system functioning normalization. Physical activity is also a critical factor in reducing the risks of diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, and osteoarthritis. As for psychological advantages, the research in this field found out that physically active patients have better mental health than those leading a sedentary lifestyle [32–34].

Physical activity in early age can cause neuronal reserve's formation, which then will be used during the life course. Consequently, physically active patients have lower risk of developing cognitive impairments associated with epilepsy [35, 36].

Preventive and curative effect of the physical activity in case of epilepsy can be achieved in accordance with several principles, including the principles of consistency, regularity, duration, monitoring, and personalization of the training load. Despite this, it is believed that enhanced muscular activity is accompanied with tachypnea (hyperventilation), which can initiate the seizures.

However, some authors claim that physical activity can reduce the likelihood of seizures. Usually, seizures do not occur while running, swimming, ice skating, skiing, crossing the crowded street, as well as during sport events, although this issue is disputable. On the other side, it is reported that seizures often start when patients are relaxed or sleeping.

The described fact accounts for the development of new dominant excitation areas in the central nervous system (CNS) during vigorous exercises. Due to the negative induction, these areas slow down or inhibit the epileptic area activity, therefore preventing seizure occurrence. It is reported that during physical exercises seizures occur much more rare than during relaxation [31]. The disappearance of epileptiform activity in many patients' EEG during the physical activity proves this theory **[**37–40].

### *2.1.5 Ketogenic diet*

Ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet that induces ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body uses ketone bodies, made from the breakdown of fatty acids in the liver, rather than carbohydrates as primary source of energy. The classical KD has a fat to carbohydrate plus protein ratio of 3–4:1. Additionally, classical KD can be supplemented with either long- or medium-chain

**137**

*The Role of Nondrug Treatment Methods in the Management of Epilepsy*

triglycerides (LCT or MCT) to maintain the appropriate ratio and improve effectiveness. The diets appear to be highly effective as 36–85% of the patients with epilepsy experience more than 50% seizure reduction when on KD [41]. Multiple epileptic syndromes, such as glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) deficiency, are espe-

Tapping is a psychomotor test that can be used to assess the psychophysiological brain functions, in particular the time perception**.** Tapping without any external influence reflects the speed of nervous processes and endogenous rhythmic processes of the central nervous system since tapping with the preferred test speed

However, in case of exogenously defined long-term reproduction of the rhythmic intervals, the frequency of stimulation is of importance. A number of studies revealed association between the frequency of exogenous stimulation in case of tapping and body response. Specifically, if stimulation is more than 1 Hz, the leading value is the reaction to time, and at a stimulation frequency less than 1 Hz, the reaction to the stimulus prevails. Therefore, at the frequency of exogenous stimula-

Despite the long-standing interest in tapping, new developments in this area constantly appear. This is due to the fundamental principles of this technique. In

Therefore, tеmpo-rhythm correction methods hold a specific place in neurorehabilitation. Prototypical techniques of such therapy include movement therapy,

One of the methods of studying the typological features of the nervous system is the "tapping test." The essence of the classical tapping test technique is the application of pencil points on an A4 sheet of paper, pre-drawn into six squares, with the maximum allowable speed. The movement from square to square is carried out by

Tapping test is widely used to study the effect of sleep duration on the level of

is used as a clinical procedure to alleviate the psychological and physical suffering of the patient. This method is described as "tapping" and is often combined with other nondrug techniques aimed at relieving patient's emotional stress. Such techniques may include acupuncture and aromatherapy. The EFT includes finger tapping on certain points on the face and hands. More than 60 research articles in various journals report 98% of the effectiveness of this technique in various patients with psychological disorders (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, anxiety, depression), as well as in patients with various somatic diseases (asthma, fibromyalgia, pain, epilepsy). The advantages of this method are its simplicity and safety. Patients can easily learn this technique and use it as a self-help in various pathological conditions. Also, this technique is used by nurses for patients undergo-

To study neural mechanisms, lying in foundation of rhythm reproduction, authors conducted an EEG during the tapping test. All subjects were divided into two groups of those who were previously trained and those who were not. EEG analysis showed that beta-rhythm in temporal and hippocampal areas in those who were trained beforehand was higher than in those who were not trained. More than that synchronization between frontal and temporal and hippocampal areas on later training stages was higher than on earlier stage. These results show that frontal,

The technique of meridian tapping [or the emotional freedom technique (EFT)]

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81912*

represents a "biological constant" [43, 44].

tion of 1 Hz, both reactions acquire an equivalent value.

this case we are talking about the doctrine of dominants.

command every 5 seconds, from left to right clockwise [45].

music therapy, and logopedic rhythmics [43].

anxiety of different groups of patients [46, 47].

ing inpatient treatment [48].

cially responsive to KD [42].

*2.1.6 Tapping*

triglycerides (LCT or MCT) to maintain the appropriate ratio and improve effectiveness. The diets appear to be highly effective as 36–85% of the patients with epilepsy experience more than 50% seizure reduction when on KD [41]. Multiple epileptic syndromes, such as glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) deficiency, are especially responsive to KD [42].
