Convulsive seizures or epileptic fits can be caused by problems in the heart, pancreas, kidney, or febrile conditions, but by far the most common causes are problems in the brain, although many have unknown causes. Some epileptics can be assisted through surgery, while others can be helped my medications such as phenobarbital, dilantin, or tridione. Epilepsy can be reproduced in monkeys to help study the disease and develop further methods of treatment.