The causes of epilepsy can be summarized as congenital ones and acquired ones. Congenital factors include hereditary defect and impairment of original qi of fetus; acquired factors include craniocerebral trauma and blood stagnation impairing collaterals, suffocation, syncope and depletion depriving heart and mind of nourishment, seasonal pestilence and virulent heat pathogen impairing the heart and brain, parasites and cerebroma inside the brain, etc.

The pathogenesis involves the four zang organs of the heart, liver, spleen and kidney while the main cause of repeated onset lies in the inside latent accumulation of phlegm. Mental confusion due to phlegm causes unconsciousness with closed eyes, vertigo and fall; excessive phlegm combining with the liver wind gives rise to stiffness of neck and nape, clonic convulsion of limbs; dysfunction of the spleen in transportation and transformation results in internal production of phlegm; yin deficiency of the kidney fails to restrict wind and yang. Phlegm accumulates and disperses; qi flows favourably and unfavourably; wind may be dynamic and static. Therefore these factors result in the clinical features of the disease: it occurs repeatedly with spontaneous relief.