Epilepsy, a disorder of the central nervous system, is caused by abnormal electrical impulses within the brain. The outward sign of epilepsy is a seizure, the type and severity of which depend on the location of the abnormal electrical activity in the brain and how these impulses spread through the brain.
At Mission's Neurosciences Institute, a variety of treatment options are available to the epileptic patient. Much of the overall care can be provided on an outpatient basis. While epilepsy is primarily treated with medications, there are surgical options.
Technology used to diagnose and treat patients with epilepsy includes:
- Electroencephalography (EEG). For this procedure, electrodes are placed on the scalp, on the brain surface or within the brain itself and connected to an amplifier which amplifies the impulses more than a million times. This information is recorded on paper or computer disk for the physician to review.
- 24-hour Epilepsy monitoring. To obtain an exact assessment of the number and severity of seizures, patients with severe or frequent seizures can be hospitalized in a special unit where their brain activity can be tracked using video and EEG together. This gives the physician precise information for diagnosis, and provides a way to track improvement.
- Vagus nerve stimulation. The vagus nerve stimulator is a surgical treatment for epilepsy. A pacemaker-like generator is placed in the patient's chest and wires stimulate the vagus nerve. This has been found to be helpful to some patients with difficult to control epilepsy.
For children with severe seizures, the pediatric neurologist may wish to order a study that combines EEG monitoring with 24-hour video-monitoring, so the physician can compare the child's brain activity while awake with his or her brain activity during sleep. This often provides important information for diagnosis and treatment.
Because the neurologists and neurosurgeons on staff at Mission perform university-level treatments (with the exception of excisional epilepsy surgery), patients and their caregivers can stay close to home. This is more convenient and also allows the patients to work with local physicians if problems develop.
Contact us at Kathey.Ponder@msj.org
