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	Related conditions   - Acoustic neuroma   - Alzheimer's disease   - Stroke   - Carpal tunnel syndrome   - Trigeminal neuralgia   - Epilepsy   - Whiplash   - Hydrocephalus   - Restless leg syndrome   - Multiple sclerosis   - Dementia   - Parkinson's disease   - Vertebral fracture   - Peripheral neuropathy

Treatment for epilepsy

The diagnosis of epilepsy involves a careful and detailed medical history and physical examination, electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) done in conjunction with a neurologist specializing in epilepsy. Additional testing may include video-EEG, Wada testing (intracarotid sodium amobarbital test), positron emission tomography (PET) or single positron emission computed tomography (SPECT) to provide useful information prior to developing a treatment program.

Occasionally, more invasive testing is done in conjunction with a neurosurgeon that may include monitoring with electrodes placed directly on or in the brain.

The goal of therapy for a patient with epilepsy is complete control of seizures without side effects of treatment that interfere with the patient's life. Anti-epileptic drugs are the initial treatment. They provide complete seizure control in 50-80% of epileptic patients, with a lower rate in temporal lobe epilepsy. Although several new anti-epileptic drugs have recently become available, they have not markedly increased the number of seizure-free patients. Patients with epilepsy who have failed multiple medical regimens should be considered for surgical therapy.

There are three types of effective surgical therapies available for epilepsy. They are surgery to remove a portion of the brain responsible for seizure onset, cutting the corpus callosum (the bridge between the two halves of the brain) and implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator.

For more information, visit our Regional Epilepsy Center.