Services

Diagnostic Procedures
The diagnostic procedures performed in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and Epilepsy Neurodiagnostic Center and available with our epileptologists' orders include:

• Continuous audiovisual/EEG monitoring allows recording of the electrical activity during the seizure.
• EEG Source Imaging allows a sophisticated analysis of EEG and direct visualization of the likely seizure focus on the patient's brain MRI.
• MRI reveals a structural brain abnormality causing epilepsy.
• MR Spectroscopy localizes the seizure focus non-invasively.
• PET Scan aids in the non-invasive localization of the seizure focus.

Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
Patients with intractable seizures whose epilepsy diagnosis remains uncertain after outpatient evaluation may be admitted to our inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit. Located at the Illinois Neurological Institute on the neurology floor, this unit consists of four private patient rooms that are hard-wired specifically so that the clinical seizures can be recorded on video and EEG simultaneously, observed and transferred real-time to the epilepsy control room for further analysis by the epilepsy treating physicians. This higher level of technology helps to establish a clear diagnosis of most types of epilepsy, defines the location of the seizure focus in the brain and aids in the establishment of a treatment plan.

Outpatient Services
The Epilepsy Program offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment at our office. We are located at the Illinois Neurological Institute Diagnostic Center, 530 N.E. Glen Oak Ave. on the sixth floor. Patients with various types of epilepsy receive physician services, counseling, education, monitoring of seizure medication levels, as well as other diagnostic testing with EEG, and sophisticated neuroimaging such as high-resolution brain MRI, MR Spectroscopy, PET and SPECT scanning to map the epileptogenic focus non-invasively. Epileptic seizures fail to respond to medical treatment in approximately 25% of epilepsy patients and these patients have options for further evaluation as inpatients in our center as potential candidates for epilepsy surgery, vagus nerve stimulation or experimental trials with new antiepileptic medications or Gamma Knife surgery for intractable epilepsy.

Research and Education
Patients may benefit from numerous research activities conducted by the Epilepsy Program including:

• EEG Source Imaging allows non-invasive localization of the seizure focus.
• MR Imaging and MR Spectroscopy aids in the non-invasive localization of the seizure focus.
• Experimental Anti-Seizure Medication Trials conducted at our Epilepsy Center to treat patients with various types of intractable epilepsy.
• Gamma Knife treatment in epilepsy. This state-of-the-art treatment modality is being offered to patients with intractable epilepsy and a single seizure focus on a research basis and under a research protocol as a less invasive procedure to remove the seizure focus.
• Educational Services include support groups and programs that are aimed at providing resources to improve quality of life.

Surgical Options
After diagnostic tests are performed, some patients may be eligible for epilepsy surgery. When indicated, epilepsy surgery is performed using sophisticated computerized neurosurgical techniques. The seizure focus is resected with the goal of achieving complete seizure control. Patients may also be offered vagus nerve stimulation, a short surgical procedure in which a small electrical device is implanted in the chest. This procedure may be helpful in improving seizure control. This service is also offered through our multidisciplinary team, which includes neurology, epilepsy and neurosurgery services.